Kate Nicholl
South Belfast · Alliance Party · Northern Ireland
“I thank the Minister for her humanity and her leadership. Many of the asylum seekers with whom I work do not fit into the illegal immigrant narrative; indeed, one woman with whom I worked was sold as a Daesh bride and was prostituted every day for two years, with her child often present.”
“It is a local number, and it has a chat function that people can use if they do not feel comfortable speaking directly. There is also an amazing charity called the National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC).”
“On behalf of the Alliance Party, I recognise the extraordinary and remarkable bravery and courage of the two victims. Yesterday's verdict will not undo the harm that was done to them, but, hopefully, it sends a clear recognition that what happened was wrong and that Jeffrey Donaldson will feel the full weight of the law.”
“I thank the Member for that answer. Recently, we held the national allergy strategy launch in the Long Gallery. I thank the catering team, led by Alan, for how well they dealt with that.”
“They have done so much for so many people in Northern Ireland, and we wish them well. They have gone through a difficult period. We hope that there is healing from this as they go forward.”
“The comments were violent and at a different level from anything that I have seen before. <BR /> <BR />We are in a difficult place right now. This destabilises our democracy. It is easy to believe lies when you are angry, and I am not sure what we do about it.”
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“I thank the Minister for his detailed response; I know that he shares my passion for the issue. What is the Minister's assessment of how critical the plans for afforestation are to meeting the challenges presented by the climate and biodiversity crises?”
“Clinicians at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children are telling us that it needs to be a regional hub and funded as such, so that it can be a centre of excellence for children across Northern Ireland. I am trying to ascertain whether the Minister's intention is for it to become that and to be funded accordingly and for services to be commissioned.”
“Thank you, Minister, for your statement. From the Alliance Party's engagement with the sector, it is clear to us that the Royal children's hospital needs to be a regional hub and funded as such through the proper commissioning of services. Will the Minister confirm that that is his intention, so that it can be a centre of excellence for children across Northern Ireland? Has he engaged with clinicians in the hospital? If not, will he do so?”
“Minister, I welcome the work on the programme, and I look forward to seeing more detail. We hope that the local economic partnerships will complement, not duplicate, the work of the labour market partnerships. My real questions are these: will all councils have access to the local economic partnership funding? What criteria do you envisage being used to allocate that funding?”
“Will the Minister provide an assessment of how the active delivery plan that he mentioned will better support active travel on the way to school.”
“It is an amazing exhibition, and I am delighted that the trust will showcase it over the coming weeks. Please go and see it. Receiving the prestigious Trust of Sanctuary award is a wonderful recognition for the trust. I look forward to seeing other services getting the same recognition.”
“It is called "Seen". If anyone is in any of the well-being centres in Belfast or is at the Royal, they will see some of the artwork. The children were asked to take a piece of A4 paper and draw something that represented them. The very young kids drew things like footballs and food. A lot of them drew pictures of houses and future careers. Oliver then drew a portrait of the child around how they wanted to be seen. <BR /> <BR />Those children are so vulnerable, and they have suffered so much. They carry such unimaginable trauma, but they just want to be seen as children. The exhibition reflects that and our common humanity. We all bleed the same, we all want to feel connection and we all want dignity and respect. The exhibition is a reminder that those children deserve the same future as any of our children.”
“The Belfast Health and Social Care Trust was awarded the prestigious Trust of Sanctuary award in recognition of its commitment to providing a safe and welcoming environment for everyone, regardless of background, ethnicity or origin. No other health and social care trust has achieved that recognition. The Belfast Trust is also the only trust in Northern Ireland to have a good relations strategy. Its commitment to learning about the experience of newcomers and how to better support and welcome them is admirable. The Royal Jubilee Maternity Service received the Trust of Sanctuary award for its work as well, which is really important. <BR /> <BR />I was at the awards ceremony last week with the artist Oliver Jeffers. Along with some asylum seeker children with whom we had been working, he has produced the most amazing exhibition.”
“What learning has been applied across the local enterprise agencies, particularly those in the same council areas?”
“I thank the First Minister for her answer. I recently learned that children in contingency accommodation will no longer be able to go to school until they are in permanent accommodation. Some of the children with whom I am working have been in hotels for up to two years. I am very worried that, at some stage, there will be an inquiry into the treatment of those children, some of whom are malnourished and have poor mental health. It is deeply concerning that they will now be unable to go to school. What assurances can you give me that your Department will do everything that it can to ensure the well-being of some of the most vulnerable children in our society?”
“The climate crisis has the potential to devastate — it already does. The answer to the challenge cannot be to bury our heads in the sand and pretend that the impacts will never reach us. It is too late for that. We have to learn to adapt and overcome. We must address the climate crisis head-on and in an inclusive manner that brings communities with us, delivers greater prosperity and protects our environment for generations to come.”
“We need to work together to deliver. Strategies alone will not be enough; we need to deliver. John Blair, who is arguably the biggest environmentalist in the Alliance Party, talked about the consequences of inaction and how they are already being felt. The biggest barrier to green growth is the political will, and radical change is critical. He told us that we have a historic opportunity and that we are talking about the birthright of our children and of "future generations".”
“<BR /> <BR />Cathal Boylan, who, I know, is passionate about planning — we have had conversations about it — outlined the reviews that have been done and said that the Programme for Government contained commitments. The Minister went into detail on that. Andy McMurray talked about the 30-week planning target. Wind farms can take three years, though. There is an issue with staffing in planning. It is a skills issue that we really need to address. Deborah touched on how the Planning Appeals Commission is not fully equipped to deal with all the applications and agreed that there is a particular issue with wind.”
“<BR /> <BR />John Stewart made a really important point about people having to pull the plug on major projects because of bureaucracy. He rightly said that that is lamentable. He talked about reports that highlight planning delays and the impact of the silo mentality. In its 2024 report on planning reform, the NI Chamber of Commerce and Industry stated that mechanisms for prioritising renewable energy projects will be vital if we are to meet our decarbonisation targets. If we are to make significant progress towards the target of 80% of energy consumption from renewable sources by 2030, our planning system has to be geared towards that end, while safeguarding our environment and delivering new green jobs across our communities.”
“I hope that that is an indication that the strategy will not take as long as the environmental improvement plan did to make it on to the Executive agenda. Justin McNulty's point on ambition and delivery is taken, and I am confident that the Minister will not be found wanting there. <BR /> <BR />To enable transformation, we can no longer tinker at the edges of the planning system. It came up time and time again in the debate that fundamental reform is needed if we are to deliver the green transformation that our communities and our economy require and deserve. David and a number of other Members mentioned that, when talking to the energy industry and experts, that comes up as a real issue. David also talked about instability being an issue, and that is so true: lack of reform in the public sector is a big problem.”
“As the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir, previously outlined, economic growth and environmental protection are intertwined and interconnected: a healthy Northern Ireland is a prosperous Northern Ireland. The Minister's plans for a green growth strategy will provide a framework for tackling the climate and nature crisis in a way that enhances economic opportunities across society. The Department for Infrastructure is engaging with other Departments. Patsy McGlone mentioned that there may be a requirement for policy change, and that will be looked at. I particularly welcome Phillip Brett's enthusiasm and excitement about the upcoming green growth strategy.”
“<BR /> <BR />Tackling the climate crisis and transitioning to carbon neutrality hold the key to unlocking significant job opportunities across the industries of the future. We urgently need to decarbonise our economy and, by doing so, unlock a fairer and more resilient economy filled with clean and affordable renewable energy and well-paid green jobs. Phillip Brett mentioned the areas in which we are leading and said that we should talk about that more: I completely agree. Nicola Brogan highlighted the innovative work being done in various sectors, including hydrogen. Anyone who has visited businesses such as Artemis Technologies knows that there is a lot to be excited about and to sell. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the Infrastructure Minister's presence at the debate, his response and his commitment to working with colleagues on delivery.”
“<BR /> <BR />There is a common narrative in the media about how much it will cost to meet our legally binding net zero targets, but that represents a fundamental misunderstanding of the challenges and opportunities that are at stake. It is so important that we consider the costs of not reaching net zero. We can already see the impacts of climate change all around us, which are hitting the most vulnerable in particular. My colleague John Blair talked about that. Without a serious plan to future-proof our infrastructure and communities against the potentially devastating impacts of the climate crisis, those impacts will only worsen. Gary Middleton talked about the role of the public sector — Deborah reiterated that — and praised the work of Translink in that space. I agree.”
“Feel free to intervene if there are any points I miss. <BR /> <BR />The motion that we tabled today and the ongoing work of Minister Muir to develop a green growth strategy recognises that tackling the climate and nature emergency goes hand in hand with economic transformation and social justice. They are not at odds with each other; rather, they enable one another. <BR /> <BR />My colleague David Honeyford made it clear that a green new deal is our future, and that is why we cannot support the DUP amendment. Having a deal is so important. Phillip Brett talked about the all-party commitment to the £150 million fund, while Gary Middleton said that a greener economy is better for people and the environment, so there has been agreement on the importance of green growth, and that is really positive.”
“That led to legislation being introduced on regulation. How the US's legislation progresses is something on which to keep an eye. It is not a new issue, however. I hope that this moment acts as a catalyst for change that delivers a fairer system for consumers.”
“People who have been waiting for hours are then given only minutes to decide whether they want to buy a ticket that is potentially hundreds of pounds more than was originally advertised. The point is that people should know when they are waiting in a queue that the ticket can go up only to a maximum price, that they are not wasting their time and that they know what they have potentially signed up to. It is common practice for companies to charge more for flights, trains and hotels at peak times or at short notice. That is allowed under UK consumer protection law, but what is not allowed is the misleading of customers. <BR /> <BR />David touched on how common the practice is in the US and said that it is becoming more common here. In 2022, tickets to Bruce Springsteen were selling for up to $5,000. That is madness.”
“While the issue of dynamic and surge pricing — prices changing according to demand — and whether the Government should clamp down on that is not a new one, it has been highlighted significantly by the Oasis tickets debacle. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the way in which the motion has been framed. The focus is on the core issues, the first of which is the lack of transparency and communication with consumers to ensure that they are fully informed of their rights. It is right that the Consumer Council has a role to play. I await with interest the CMA investigation. Declan spoke really well about how, although most products that are subject to dynamic pricing allow free choice, in the case of tickets, there is no free choice. They are finite, and people do not have the luxury of time or of shopping around.”
“I have to say that I am disappointed by the number of Members who have made Oasis puns during their speeches. I include you in that, Mr Deputy Speaker. I think that we should all be above that. You will not hear any puns from me. Actually, you will not hear very much from me because my colleague Sian Mulholland, despite her numerous Oasis references, was far more articulate and knowledgeable on the subject than I could be. <BR /> <BR />I really appreciated David Brooks's speech just now. Many interesting points have been raised, and I do not have much to add. I too tried to get Oasis tickets and started to feel more stressed than you do when you are trying to get Christmas experience tickets. I gave up when the site crashed, and I am glad that I did.”
“— a great place to live, work and invest. I am finished.”
“We must recognise the concerns of our businesses, but we must also work together to improve the operation of the Windsor framework and ensure that Northern Ireland remains —”
“Top of our list is a negotiated veterinary medicines agreement and a grace period for the next phase of goods labelling in the interim. An SPS agreement needs to be bold and ambitious enough to meet UK and Northern Ireland needs; it cannot just be a tick-box exercise. If it is done right, as my colleague said, it will go a long way to address problems. We also want to see improved information and assistance to businesses based in Great Britain regarding trading in Northern Ireland. We know that the trader support scheme needs improvement. It is clunky, but it needs to stay. <BR /> <BR />Early and enhanced engagement between Northern Ireland's elected representatives, Departments and other stakeholders in the development of EU law will be vital in helping all those who work in that space.”
“The truth is that it is impossible to entirely square the circle of the challenges and contradictions that Brexit poses and to completely avoid friction and new bureaucracy. That said, the gaps can be reduced significantly through trust and creativity. We must be open to maximising flexibilities within those special arrangements so long as they meet the tests of protecting the Good Friday Agreement and preserving dual market access and any changes are mutually agreed between the UK and the EU in line with our international legal obligations. <BR /> <BR />While the Alliance Party supports the special arrangements provided for under the Windsor framework, we want to improve the implementation and support people and businesses in Northern Ireland to adapt.”
“I will start by recognising the importance of road hauliers in our economy. The Alliance Party has long maintained that there is no such thing as a good or sensible Brexit for the UK as a whole and for Northern Ireland in particular. It poses huge challenges for our economy, environment, society and political stability, and it is not a rehash; it is reality. However, we now have to make the most of the hand that we have been dealt. <BR /> <BR />The particular concerns that the Road Haulage Association raised are not detailed in the motion, and the Member who moved the motion highlighted that insufficient clarity has been provided regarding green lanes and the potential disruption to trade and the bureaucracy that they entail.”
“My thoughts are also with the victims of violence. There are survivors in the Public Gallery today, and I pay tribute to them. <BR /> <BR />Under "Working better together", the plan includes conducting the first phase of gap analysis of violence against women and girls provision. Is there a timescale for that analysis and for the roll-out of additional phases?”
“I welcome the Minister's comments and the fact that her Department is taking this so seriously. <BR /> <BR />Running a business is stressful at the best of times. I loved David's analogy on growth and creating the conditions. That was very powerful. Government and other public bodies should be supporting businesses to ease those stresses, not exacerbating them with late payments. I hope that Members will support our amendment and support the motion.”
“Without data, we cannot understand more about why and how late payments from the public sector are occurring. That data could also tell us more about payment practices through the supply chain, which is, as he highlighted, also an issue. <BR /> <BR />We all agree that the current statistics are unsustainable. We agree that more needs to be done. The Alliance amendment intends to strengthen and widen the motion to include other Departments, arm's-length bodies and agencies. It provides a target:”
“All will say that it results in wasted time and constrained growth. Therefore, given the importance of business to our economy, and given the impact that prompt payment can have in supporting local businesses and their ability to grow, it is regrettable that more focus has not been put on the issue. That is why my colleague David Honeyford has private Member's legislation in development on this. Money owed by public bodies to businesses within our economy should be going back into the economy as quickly as possible, not resting in government accounts. <BR /> <BR />There is also an issue around the inconsistency of payment data in the public sector. Sometimes it is unavailable, despite requirements to publish and explain performance. David mentioned that as well.”
“Given that micro and small businesses are the backbone of our economy, as Deirdre said, they also hold the key to growing our economy — something that we need in order to deliver greater prosperity for all our people. <BR /> <BR />We know that public-sector bodies procure only when the funding is in place, so it is fair to assume that the issue with late payments is largely administrative. FSB research found that, in 2021-22, more than 234,000 invoices were not paid within the public-sector legal requirement of 30 calendar days. That is particularly frustrating for businesses that will tell you of the impact that late payments have on their ability to trade and their confidence in engaging in public procurement and, in more extreme cases, of how it can lead to insolvency and impact on their mental health.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I start by congratulating the new Member for North Antrim for an excellent maiden speech. I look forward to further contributions. <BR /> <BR />My job is to make a winding-up speech for the Alliance amendment to the motion on late payments in the public sector. We know that cash flow is crucial for the survival of small and medium-sized businesses, but it is also really important for growth, allowing businesses to reinvest into their businesses and make an even bigger contribution to the economy as a whole. <BR /> <BR />In March 2023, 89% of businesses in Northern Ireland were microbusinesses with fewer than 10 employees, and just over 2% of businesses had 50 or more employees, and four in 10 businesses had a turnover of less than £100,000 while just over one in 10 had a turnover in excess of £1 million.”
“It is a simple idea, with a 5K run held weekly on Saturday mornings for young and old alike — walkers, Couch to 5K, amateur runners and elite athletes. Because much of the focus of FSB's lobbying efforts is at Stormont, they will engage with the Stormont Parkrun in a small celebration of the power and value of voluntary effort. They are inviting Members, staff, families and supporters to come along to the Stormont Parkrun on Saturday 14 September at 9 am to run, volunteer or just experience that atmosphere and share a tea or coffee with some of those who helped to make both of those great organisations what they are today. <BR /> <BR />I congratulate FSB and Parkrun on their anniversaries and wish them many more successful years to come.”
“Within two weeks of writing his letter, Norman Small had called a public meeting of business owners, and so the National Federation of Self Employed was formed. It is an organisation of volunteers who strive to protect small businesses by lobbying to improve the laws that affect them, as well as providing support and advice services where challenges remain. <BR /> <BR />Fifty years on, as the largest business lobby in Northern Ireland and, indeed, the UK — many Members will be familiar with Roger Pollen, Neil Hutcheson, Hannah Marshall and John Moore, who have been especially helpful in relation to childcare policy — it is marking the anniversary with a number of activities. One of those will see it engage with another outstanding voluntary organisation that is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the Parkrun.”
“The Federation of Small Businesses was established 50 years ago next month at a time when the UK economy was on its knees. The Government tried to plug the gaping hole in their finances by hiking National Insurance contributions on the self-employed. It was a blow against those unable to defend themselves. <BR /> <BR />One man decided to take a stand, and, in that pre-social-media age, he took his pen and wrote a letter to the newspaper calling for business owners as diverse as”
“Thank you, deputy First Minister, for your answer. One of my constituents has been waiting over 1,000 days for a decision on their application for the Troubles permanent disablement scheme. Every time I write to ask about that, I am told that improvements are being made, but, frankly, he is losing hope. What specific improvements have been made in the past six months, and what hope will there be for the people who are waiting that the improvements will be made?”
“<BR /> <BR />I will finish by reading the words of Muhammad Atif, who is from the Belfast Multi-Cultural Association. He is in the Public Gallery, but he spoke to us on the stairs outside. It is right that we end with his words. He said:”
“Our diversity makes us richer, and we need to tap into the warmth and empathy that our people possess in volumes. That empathy and compassion are sometimes hard to access because of poverty and the failure of our public services to meet their needs, but those are two separate conversations. We are here today talking about racist crime and Islamophobia. We will have another conversation about housing. Please do not conflate the issues. It is negligent and dangerous to do that. Our views on politics, history, economics and the constitutional question will vary, but I really hope that, today, one thing that we can agree on is that we are all united in our desire to make this place a better one where everyone, regardless of their religion or race, can feel safe, be happy and lead a good life.”
“Decades of deliberate misinformation will be hard to untangle. Across the world, there is a rise in anti-immigrant sentiment. Those with nothing are pitted against each other by those with everything. Here is where our leadership really matters. Here is where we have to say, "This is misinformation." We have a moral duty to address the lies that people are being told and the manipulation and to stress that only 0·6% of the UK population are asylum seekers and that 85% of refugees are in developing countries. We need to be clear that Northern Ireland needs newcomers in order to grow. Can we please stay away from the narrative of the good migrant versus the bad migrant? Your working in a hospital does not make you better than an asylum seeker. We are all human beings. We all have worth, and we all have value.”
“It is shameful to focus on that when victims, who are sitting in the Public Gallery, are living in fear right now and we make it about housing policy. Housing policy is a failure of politicians, not of people who have a different religion or skin colour.”
“I want to get on, and then I will bring you in. <BR /> <BR />There is a right to peaceful protest, and there are people who have concerns. Those points are true. However, there is no right to incitement. While it may not be your intention, the result of qualifying your condemnation is to make those who are being targeted feel that politicians are prioritising the perpetrators over the victims. Legitimate concerns do not validate illegitimate protest. The protest outside today bears no equivalence to the one that was held on Saturday. <BR /> <BR />I acknowledge that, while the intent of the riots was rooted in racism, not all those who attended them were racist. Too many in our society, from every walk of life, are struggling. That is the issue, not immigration and not housing.”
“<BR /> <BR />I feel very uncomfortable with the insistence of some beginning their remarks by stating that there are legitimate concerns. I will read what the Victims' Commissioner said, which was:”
“We need to focus on how we listen to the voices of those who have been impacted on. Not one of us who has spoken today has their lived experience. Those who are in fear need to be safe and protected, and we must be visible to them and guided by their needs. The path from here gets harder. Tackling inequality is not easy. We have an insufficient Budget and crises everywhere you look. Housing, poverty, health and education all need to be fixed. We need a properly resourced Justice budget. Legislation is not far from completion on racial equality, refugee integration and anti-poverty, but the good news is that the Assembly is up and running, we have Ministers in place and we can get on with it, and we must.”
“We wholeheartedly condemn it, and those responsible must feel the full weight of the law. Members have been in agreement on this. Secondly, we need to name the problem. Those businesses that were attacked were owned by Muslims. The end point of the riots was the Belfast Islamic Centre. There is no ambiguity here. The unrest was powered by racism and Islamophobia, and the motion states that.”
“What impact has our failure to progress key pieces of legislation, our stop-start government and our financial instability had? Is political hesitancy and, at times, silence in the face of hate crime to blame? Anna Lo always said that sectarianism and racism are two sides of the same coin. Has our inability to meaningfully tackle sectarianism, having normalised suspicion and dislike of the other, been a driving force? My view is that all of this is true. Wound together and set against a context of misinformation, disinformation and inequality, here we find ourselves, a complex path that has led us to a dark and frightening place. <BR /> <BR />Thankfully, there are ways out of here, but we will need to grow together. As a first step, we must agree that the violence on our streets is unacceptable.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. First, I thank members of the Muslim community for their presence here today, for their resilience and for their dignity. Some of what you have had to hear this afternoon will not have been easy. I acknowledge the fear that they and those from minority ethnic communities are living through. That should be our focus, and you have been let down. Collectively, we need to do better. What has unfolded over the past few days has been shocking, unsettling and very sad. It is hard to make sense of it. How did we get here? Was it 14 years of a Tory Government and their hostile environment? Was it the newspaper headlines demonising the most vulnerable and platforming hostility as though it were a legitimate viewpoint? We know that there are dark forces at play on social media. How much of this was them?”
“I thank the Member for taking an intervention. I wonder how he can put the housing crisis at the feet of migrants, when it is, in fact, politicians who are responsible for investment.”
“What reassurance can you give that the Department will not only prioritise placing those children but will place them somewhere that is suitable and appropriate to their needs?”