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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“That is why the framework is so important. Communities are delivering that work, and, as an Assembly, we should not hinder that. We should support and drive that work and do more around it. I thank her for that. She said that T:BUC is under review. She talked about her own identity and culture and said that our identity is part of us and that we must respect that in others. She then talked about the different elements that have been successful, including Urban Villages, shared housing and the United Youth programme. <BR /> <BR />All in all, it was a really positive debate, and the contributions were really worthwhile. A lot of work still needs to happen, and we have talked about the multiple areas of work and how that will require cross-departmental working. The tone during the debate, from most people, was very welcome.”
“<BR /> <BR />Emma Sheerin talked about her politics and said that it was a very important conversation. I liked her line about no one asking where you went on Sunday. We should not ask that <BR /> <BR />David Honeyford gave such a lovely contribution about Granny Sally. As Sinéad McLaughlin said, it happens with love; I really like that line. Sinéad said lots of useful things about how society is changing. She talked about new communities and about recognising that, for too many people, division is real and that there is structural segregation. That is true. <BR /> <BR />The deputy First Minister apologised for being late. Nobody held that against her, and we are delighted to see the North/South Ministerial Council meet today. She recognised the work that communities do, and we all see that in our constituencies.”
“I completely agree, and I pay tribute to you, because, at every town hall meeting on asylum seekers and refugees that I go to, you are there. Yes, that really needs to be addressed, and that is why I welcome work on the racial equality strategy. I look forward to seeing the results, but they cannot be just words; we need actions. There needs to be monitoring and data, and we need to have targets to work towards. <BR /> <BR />Pádraig Delargy discussed T:BUC and Urban Villages and the positive effects that they have. He said that he would have liked to see the North/South dimension. I really liked the "take stock" perspective that his speech brought, because that was our intention. It is about how far we have come and also where we need to go.”
“His only crime was speaking out about racism in our society. I had the privilege of working for Anna Lo when she was an MLA, and Anna always said that sectarianism and racism are two sides of the same coin. We allow it to happen by not calling it out, and we all need to do better in challenging the sectarianism and racism that exist in our society. Quite frankly, it is often the same people who come out and talk about that, so we all need to do better.”
“<BR /> <BR />There is an urgent need to prioritise the allocation of multi-annual funding for the good relations sector's future planning and sustainability. We have talked a lot about the sector and the work that communities do, but they are hindered by the lack of multi-annual funding and the instability that results from a lack of stable government. The sector is often first to become vulnerable to deep cuts when government budgets are tight. <BR /> <BR />We need to widen the scope of good relations. We are more than just two communities; in my work with minority ethnic communities, that is constantly raised with me. In relation to that, Paula raised the issue of racial prejudice and refugee integration. A constituent of mine Takura Makoni had racist graffiti sprayed on his house yesterday.”
“It feels as though there is a genuine commitment to working together and collaboration. I thank the First Minister and deputy First Minister for being so committed to that, and especially for their portrayal of that to the public, because the public really need to see it. Today's debate has highlighted that. <BR /> <BR />I welcome Carál's points about how it is not just in working-class areas that sectarianism exists. I will not name the areas, but, as someone who has canvassed in all parts of my constituency and other constituencies, I can say that some of the most blatant sectarianism that I have witnessed came from very privileged areas where it goes unchecked. That is a piece of work that we all need to address.”
“Shared housing must be prioritised, and it cannot be diluted or sidelined any further. It must be given the funding and resources required in order to ensure that it does not get lost or neglected. <BR /> <BR />Where shared housing is developed, it must be reflective of Northern Ireland in all its diversity. As Connie said, it is not just about two communities; it is about creating communities that are genuinely reflective and full of the richness of our increasingly diverse society. We strongly believe that shared housing is a crucial tool in building a shared future and that, like integrated education, it must form part of the strategic framework for building a shared future. <BR /> <BR />I really liked Mike Nesbitt's contribution. He mentioned the positivity that exists in the Building now.”
“Increasing integrated education provision in order to meet demand should be an important part of the strategic framework for the shared future that the motion calls for. <BR /> <BR />I really appreciated Matthew O'Toole's comments about the cut to funding and the impact that that has. Sinéad McLaughlin talked about how 7% of schools — 8% now — are integrated. That is just not enough. <BR /> <BR />I will move on to shared housing. My colleague Paula Bradshaw, who, in moving the motion, spoke so well, referenced how the lack of shared housing is a major barrier to building a genuinely shared future. Shared housing was recently moved out of the Executive Office and into the Communities portfolio, forming part of the broader housing brief, and we find that concerning.”
“It is not just about people from mixed backgrounds attending a school. It is about so much more than that. It is about an ethos. Not every school is integrated. Integrated schools have an intentionality and ethos, and they give our children the chance to build relationships with pupils from different backgrounds and to appreciate and celebrate their differences and what they have in common. That theme was brought out in the debate: it is not about denying our differences but about celebrating them and how doing so enriches us, as the deputy First Minister said. <BR /> <BR />Alliance believes that every child should have the choice and option of attending an integrated school, thus reducing the cost of division and playing a crucial role in building a shared future.”
“Our schools should represent the diversity of our society, and integrated education provides the intentionality required to ensure that we are building a more inclusive and reconciled society. <BR /> <BR />Harry Harvey is one of my favourite members of the DUP, so it pains me to challenge him, but I did not agree with anything that he said about integrated education.”
“I start by thanking all the Members who spoke for their considered contributions to this important debate. Before addressing some key aspects that were raised in the debate, I will focus on two issues, to do with integrated education and shared housing, that were touched on briefly by my Alliance Party colleagues. <BR /> <BR />On integrated education, as my colleague Connie Egan stated, research from Ulster University has estimated that the additional cost of maintaining a divided education system — £226 million each year, or over £600,000 every day — clearly shows that our divided education system has deep financial costs. Educating our children separately also has societal costs, however.”
“Thank you, Minister, for your answer. You outlined the role of the statement in the process. Do you share my concern that, in the past 12 months, among the 138 staff who work in the statementing element of the EA, 3,042 days of sick leave have been taken? What more can the Department do to ensure that the resource, the number of officials working with statementing, is up to scratch?”
“I thank the First Minister for her answer. Does she agree that, while housing is the responsibility of the Housing Executive, integration is very much her Department's responsibility? While the work being done in TEO is welcome, there are issues with the governance, and people are falling through the gaps, specifically children who have been in Mears housing. They get moved to a different school because they have gone into Housing Executive accommodation, before finally getting their house. It is incredibly disruptive and is impacting on integration, and more needs to be done about that.”
“She is right. We must do everything that we can to eradicate child poverty, to address inequalities and to ease the burden of impossible choices that people in 2024 have to make. To heat or eat is unacceptable.”
“<BR /> <BR />I have spoken about childcare investment being an anti-poverty tool, and it is welcome that there was cross-party support for that. We have also recently spoken about school uniforms being made more affordable. Hopefully, the debate will contribute to how we as an Assembly address the multiple levels of vulnerability. There is no silver bullet for this. Rather, it is about how we address the multiple levels of vulnerability. <BR /> <BR />I will finish by reading something that Sheena McMullen from Action for Children said:”
“I wish to concentrate my remarks on that matter. Children from working families on low incomes are often not in receipt of free school meals and are going hungry. Teachers on already stretched budgets are doing what they can. In my constituency of South Belfast, the principal of Malone Integrated College, Mrs Moore, has been using grant money to provide free food for pupils. She said that if they did not get that meal in school, they would not get one hot meal that day. We need to address that. My colleague Nuala McAllister told me of another example in North Belfast, where one school was able to use money from Belfast City Council to provide a free meal for all pupils for the month of January. Every single child in that school, bar one, availed themselves of that. The criteria therefore really need to be amended.”
“Anyone who has experienced poverty and the all-consuming, debilitating shame that comes with it knows that it does not just impact physical and mental health; it often results in people getting into deeper debt. The school holiday food scheme payments have been a lifeline for so many people. <BR /> <BR />The Alliance amendment seeks to:”
“<BR /> <BR />When schools close for the holidays, it should not signal the end of support for children who need it most. No child should have to worry about going hungry over the school holidays. The reality is that the cut to the school holiday food scheme has had the greatest impact on disadvantaged and vulnerable children. We support the motion's call for the Minister of Education to bring forward a plan to end holiday hunger. <BR /> <BR />There is also a gender element. Research by the Women's Regional Consortium and Ulster University found that the impact of the cost-of-living emergency is forcing women to skip meals and go hungry in order to feed their children.”
“I read an article a few months ago by a principal in Craigavon who described one of her pupils fainting from hunger and a parent who literally had 16p in their purse. The only food that they were able to take home was a hamper that the school had collected for. That is shocking. <BR /> <BR />I remember sitting and listening to the news while I was feeding my son porridge. Dr Julie-Ann Maney came on the radio, and she talked about the reality of child poverty and hunger in the hospitals. Toddlers and children were squirreling food away in their nappies so that they would have something to eat later on. It struck me that, for so many children in our city and across Northern Ireland, it is just not getting any better. The numbers have been so high for so long, and there is no movement on that.”
“We know that we need a comprehensive anti-poverty strategy. Moreover, we know what has to go into that strategy, because the sector and the expert panel have told us and been very clear about what we need to do. The motion seeks to recognise the very real impact that the cut to the school holiday food grant has had, call for interim support and recognise the contribution that the voluntary and community sector has been making. They have shouldered the burden in the absence of our action. <BR /> <BR />The rising cost of food is putting many families under huge financial pressure. People are struggling. We see and hear about it every day in our constituency offices. Food bank usage is at an all-time high.”
“I thank the proposers for tabling such an important motion. As an Assembly, we have so many issues and priorities that we need to address, but few are as important or urgent as poverty, specifically child poverty. As Danny said, our children deserve the best. When children have a good start in life, a safe and stable home and emotional support within their families and communities, they are more likely to thrive and have better outcomes throughout their life. The Northern Ireland Audit Office's (NIAO) report on child poverty, which showed that 20% of our children are living in relative poverty, is deeply concerning. Those one in five are not just a statistic; they are real people whom we are failing. In 2024, it is wholly unacceptable. <BR /> <BR />The purpose of the motion is not to address the root cause of poverty.”
“Ultimately, the motion is about the 10 impacted schools.”
“The schools that are ready to go are integrated schools. They have been waiting for years and have been let down time and time again. They need the reassurance of all of us that we will do everything in the short term to redirect to them the investment that was taken away without consultation and scrutiny. That is the focus of our motion: the 10 impacted schools. <BR /> <BR />Integrated education is a crucial tool in building a more shared and reconciled society. It is not a silver bullet, but it has a crucial role to play. We ought to give far more children the opportunity to access an integrated education system that is intentional. Integrated education is not just about sharing; everything about it is intentional. It is therefore crucial that the funding promised under Fresh Start is delivered.”
“Thank you, Deputy Speaker. <BR /> <BR />Shared education as a stepping stone towards integrated education is one thing, but, if shared education is in itself the end goal, we are merely deepening and amplifying its otherness in proximity. Mr Butler referenced Baroness May Blood yesterday in his speech. I commend him for doing that: she was a fabulous woman who should be remembered by everyone for all the work that she did. I remind the House of her words in the Lords 18 years ago, which remain as true today as they were then:”
“— and it should not come as a shock. Shared education —. I will clarify. I can see that that has come as a shock to you. I do not know why you would be surprised that an Alliance Party MLA —.”
“I appreciate the Member's intervention. It was not directed at the Member; it was about how the conversation so far has been about these different schools and "What about those schools?". Of course, I understand that. As a constituency MLA, you want to speak up for your constituency, but the schools are not on the EA list of capital builds because they expected to get the Fresh Start funding. On the amendment and the specific point about shared education, we need to acknowledge that integrated education can be genuinely transformative for society in ways that shared education just will not be. That is an Alliance position —”
“I completely agree, and that has an impact on the children. We did a Q&A session at the end, and the kids wanted to know when their school would be ready. They are so upset about that. They have been looking forward to their new school; the whole community has. Those hopes have been dashed for now, and that is why we have tabled the motion. It feels like we are getting into an integrated versus shared education debate, and it is not. We tabled the motion because 10 integrated schools are ready to go, and we want to see them built. That is our focus.”
“For them and the students, it represents yet another obstacle in what has been a series of obstacles on the journey to getting the buildings they deserve and have been promised. For children, it is more time spent in buildings that are, frankly, not fit for purpose, and it is not good enough. <BR /> <BR />I spent some time at Millennium Integrated Primary School just a couple of weeks ago, alongside my colleague Paula Bradshaw, and saw at first hand the significant work that has already been undertaken by the school to get ready for its new building. You can literally see that the ground is flattened and ready for the build.”
“I rise as a member of the Education Committee and the Alliance Party but also as a representative for South Belfast, a constituency that has been particularly impacted by the gutting news about the Fresh Start funding. The community of South Belfast is devastated that the much needed new builds for Forge Integrated Primary School and Millennium Integrated Primary School have been impacted by the unilateral change in the funding arrangements by the UK Government. The school leaders, Barry Corrigan from Millennium and Neville Watson from Forge are in the Gallery today. I thank them for their attendance and resilience and the work that they are doing to reassure the school community.”
“Does the Member agree that the ability to access flexible working would make it far easier for people with childcare and caring responsibilities to be more included in the economy?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. He will be aware that childcare cost support, under universal credit, is available only if you are in work or about to start work. What is his assessment of whether support could be made available to parents and carers who have disabilities or medical needs that prevent them from accessing support for childcare costs?”
“The award recognises that the nursery school has embedded the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into its fabric. Every child who goes there knows the song about their rights, and their parents now know it too, because they hear it all the time. It is wonderful that young people are being brought up to respect one another and their differences and to know and embrace their rights. <BR /> <BR />We can look at examples in our community that are really negative and worrying but then reflect on the really good work that is happening in our school communities. I pay tribute to Knockbreda Nursery School — Mrs Welsh, in particular — for being awarded gold.”
“Last week, we witnessed racist and intimidating signs going up in Finaghy that do not reflect the values of the community and that were, rightly, condemned by so many. So many reasons have given licence to those signs going up: an anti-immigrant narrative, a lack of housing, our failure to tackle sectarianism and racism, and it can sometimes feel as though there is no end in sight to those. With that in mind, it is important to highlight the examples of good. <BR /> <BR />I declare a proud interest: my son goes to Knockbreda Nursery School, and it was recently awarded the UNICEF gold award for being a rights respecting school. It is the first mainstream nursery school in Northern Ireland to receive that award.”
“Congratulations, deputy First Minister, on your appointment. It was lovely to see you and the First Minister at a childcare setting for your first engagement. How will awareness of the scheme and any changes to the application process be raised?”
“We will support the motion and will continue, as the Alliance Party, to do everything that we can to progress reform.”
“I think that this is so relevant: the fact that we have had no Assembly; that we can just collapse it and have no Ministers in place to make local decisions for local people or to look at budgets or have no Committees scrutinising and able to ask questions. The impact that it has is huge, and that is not just on delivery. It has a psychological impact as well. People see a failed Assembly, and they feel like this place has failed, but it has not. This is a brilliant place to live. Our people are brilliant, and there are wonderful opportunities. We are talented and creative, and we should be celebrating everything that is good. The ability to collapse everything — the failure within the structure — needs to be addressed and is very relevant to the House.”
“I thank the leader of the Opposition. On the Alliance Party website, there is a document with proposals for reform, which we published in June 2022. It details our short- and medium-term changes in the line of reform. It is something that we feel very passionate about, and it should not be something that we just talk about. We have laid out how we would achieve it. Yes, I absolutely agree that there are different areas to focus on, and we should discuss how those should progress. <BR /> <BR />The final point that I want to make is that Members from the DUP said that we should be discussing things that are relevant to Northern Ireland.”
“<BR /> <BR />The values of mutual respect, equality and partnership are infused in the Good Friday Agreement, and they should remain the driving forces of our politics. To fulfil those values, however, we cannot stand still. We must modify and update the functions of these institutions. Cross-community voting continues to treat cross-community parties as less than those who are nationalist or unionist. The continued use of designation is no longer tenable, and it has been untenable for some time.”
“The process of designation, when MLAs sign into the Assembly, is unnecessary. It embeds division and is part of what makes our institutions so unstable. <BR /> <BR />When we are asked in the Chamber to vote on a cross-community basis, our votes, on these Benches, are treated differently. My colleague Kellie Armstrong is particularly passionate about that and far more articulate on the subject than I am. Not to have the same weight on a range of votes — including on the election of a Speaker, changes to Standing Orders, and approvals to the Budget — is quite frankly untenable and demeaning to me and my colleagues. As Kellie pointed out, if that was the case in any other area or aspect of someone's identity, it would be discrimination. Our society has changed, and our institutions must reflect that.”
“The urgent need to change it is a case that Alliance has been making for many years. The Good Friday Agreement is precious, but it was designed to be a living document; to be the beginning rather than the end of a process. Not to move forward and not to change is dangerous and damaging to the vision of the Good Friday Agreement. Society has changed dramatically since 1998. The number of Alliance MLAs on these Benches is testament to that. We are all given the label of "Other", but we are many things. I am Zimbabwean, my mother is South African, my father is Irish, and my children have Irish and British passports; I have them. Our identities are complex, and they should not be barriers to be overcome. They are the stuff of pluralism and vibrancy, and they are something to celebrate and respect.”
“When I was elected as an MLA, my first act in the Chamber was to sign the register and designate as United Community. It has always been strange to me that we were lumped into the Other group: we are not other; we are so much more than that. Then, I took my seat, and we tried to elect a Speaker. We could not. The cross-community votes of my cross-community party did not count in that. I spent the next two years being an MLA but being unable to legislate because one party has the power to bring everything down. My experience as an MLA has been severely hindered by flaws in the system. We need to change that. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the motion. It is important that we have this discussion today. I will focus my comments specifically on designation, which I would have liked to see referenced in the motion.”
“He shared that he has been through the process himself. <BR /> <BR />Everyone has highlighted a really important issue. We are committed to taking action on this and working with the Minister. The Minister is committed to working across Departments. Hopefully, we will be able to see changes for children who really have been failed. They need the Assembly to step up. We can do that now.”
“<BR /> <BR />Gerry Carroll made the excellent point that, within three weeks, we had a protest. He talked about the Colin autism advice and support group. Nick and I went to meet that group today as well, and those representatives personally highlighted the torture of what they are going through. It is discrimination, he said. <BR /> <BR />The Minister then spoke about how he is committed and thanked Members for their passion. He talked about early intervention and transition. He said that 63% of children with SEN do not have a statement. He said that the current estimated shortfall is 1,000 places but that additional places will be created. He said that improving the quality of education for children with SEND will be a priority. <BR /> <BR />Tom Elliott made a much more succinct winding-up speech than the one that I am making.”
“He said that children are not being placed because of their needs and that that is wrong. He also said that it should be in the Programme for Government. <BR /> <BR />Daniel McCrossan said that this is critical and important but that it is not new and nothing we have not heard before. He said that it is something that the Education Committee and the PAC looked at, that we know what the issues are and that what we need is action. That is a clear message that came through today. He also said that we should listen to parents and teachers and that Departments are not working together, even though they need to. <BR /> <BR />Justin McNulty welcomed the motion, acknowledged sterling work, mentioned the human impact of the failings here and said that reform is really needed.”
“If you already feel like you are different or separate, then all these things add up and have an impact. It is complex. She wanted to know what learning is being taken. She said that use of the word "supernumerary" needs to stop because it is not child-centred. She said that the lack of after-school provision is an issue as well. She also wanted to clarify whether basic disability awareness is being brought in, and she thanked the key workers. <BR /> <BR />Paul Frew said that it is not just about children but that the whole network and the whole family and community are being failed. He asked what we are going to do. He talked about heartbreaking cases in North Antrim and mentioned all the schools that are doing excellent work and how every child deserves an education.”
“I thought that the tone today was excellent and really hopeful, especially for the people who are listening in, but we cannot afford to go through the chaos that we had last year. It is just not acceptable. It cannot happen again. Again, it is not just Education; it is Health. <BR /> <BR />My colleague Kellie Armstrong, who has been such a champion and inspiration in our party on these matters, reminded us to keep in mind equity. As chair of the all-party group, she has heard first-hand how we are failing young people. She focused on transition, mentioned the Children's Law Centre work and said that she is very concerned about the summer and how every child should find out at the same time what school they are going to. That just seems basic; of course they should.”
“Danny Baker then said "a battle a day" — that that is what parents say, that they are exhausted and that children deserve better. Again, he used the word "heartbreaking", talked about Alana's personal story, mentioned how early intervention is key and said how a cross-departmental approach is needed. He also referenced the Children's Law Centre's work, and that research was mentioned quite a few times by Members. He also talked about the critical impact of the underfunding. <BR /> <BR />Diane Dodds mentioned the Minister's vision for all young people to be happy, learning and succeeding and that we need to measure that and take remedial action where we are failing. She welcomed the tone of inclusivity and compassion, and I echo that.”
“She touched on health and the role of health visitors, and I saw that when I went to visit Sólás and Mencap. If the Minister ever wants to come with me to see those brilliant examples of amazing education and how the lack of a joined-up approach between Health and Education is really failing children, you will see that. In one pre-preschool classroom, the children have access to allied health professionals, and then they move next door into the preschool room and they have to go out. The community therapists in that building cannot help them; they have to go back out. It really needs a joined-up approach. That is loud and clear from the providers. <BR /> <BR />I wrote so many notes. I need to turn over, sorry; there is a lot.”
“She spoke as an MLA and a parent, and she mentioned the need to invest in reform and how parental engagement is really key. She said that the process is complex and time-consuming and that we need a simpler way to deal with it. She also said that the number of tribunal cases shows that the initial assessment is flawed. <BR /> <BR />My colleague Sian Mulholland focused on early intervention, which I was very glad to hear, the need for planning and how critical it is that children receive the support that they require in order to live their best life. She also said that there is an economic argument to this too, which we know, and that we should not be waiting until P1 to plan for a child's education journey; it needs to start earlier.”
“She talked about her constituency and the challenges that people face, and how that is causing stress. She was also the first to talk about transport issues, which are a massive concern. She spoke about the long waiting list for allied health professionals and the lack of after-school provision. She thanked ADD-NI as well. <BR /> <BR />Cathy Mason made another excellent maiden speech. I echo what the Minister said: your brother Peter would be very proud of you. You talked about the systemic failure and the need to get to grips with that and said that it is not just about funding but about policy and that there are issues within the EA and the SEN policies. <BR /> <BR />Cheryl Brownlee very generously talked about how she is going through this, and it is a reminder of how this is impacting people.”