Alan Robinson
East Londonderry · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“As the school year comes to a close, 2026 will see the loss of two high-profile educators in Roe Valley. Those two individuals have given many valuable years of service to the education system.”
“<BR /> <BR />Marshall and Nicola, I hope that you begin your well-earned rest with immense pride in all that you have accomplished. Your schools will undoubtedly miss you, but your legacy will continue through every pupil whose life was enriched because of your years of service.”
“<BR /> <BR />While the two individuals led very different schools, they shared a calling: to provide the best education for young people and to inspire those around them. They have been a steady, reassuring presence for generations of children and trusted colleagues to their staff.”
“He has been an incredibly popular head of school and has the respect of many across the education system in the Province. I wish him well and trust that he will enjoy having more time for the sports that he is so deeply fond of, including rugby.”
“I thank the Member for that response. I very much welcome the addition of a padded protective area, which is something that I had lobbied for. I am keen to know whether there are any plans to increase the number of Changing Places facilities in Parliament Buildings in order to improve accessibility for staff and visitors.”
“Like others, I support the motion. For many individuals and couples across Northern Ireland, the dream of becoming parents is accompanied by years of emotional heartbreak. Couples who have undergone that journey will tell you that it is the uncertainty that kills them.”
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“It is important to begin by thanking the thousands of health and social care workers who, every day, show up and do serious heavy lifting on behalf of us all. The winter preparedness plan rightly highlights that it is vital to recognise the immense dedication and effort shown by our staff across HSC. Staff will tell you, however, that they are sick of warm words alone. They are sick of hearing long-winded speeches but seeing no changes to the pressures that they face. <BR /> <BR />For years, health staff have faced immense pressure. It is not just this winter that they face such pressure but every winter and all year round. There is no doubt that, at this time of year, they face higher demands and surges in various illnesses, frailty, problems with discharging patients and staff sickness.”
“I thank the Minister for that response. Every year, at this time of year, we hear, more and more, about family pets being extremely stressed due to fireworks. Will she consider the introduction of low-noise fireworks?”
“Otherwise, we will lose balanced, liveable areas and restrict who can afford to live and work here. The growth of holiday homes and short-term lets on the north coast is having a real and material impact on housing affordability, the availability of homes for local resident families and workers and the sustainability of community life in the villages and towns in that part of Northern Ireland. The evidence is becoming clearer, and the local voices on the north coast are growing louder. We must listen to those voices.”
“The beauty of the north coast — somewhere that I am incredibly proud to call "home" — the shopping towns nearby, the golf courses and the beaches all attract investors and holidaymakers, but what is attractive to an outsider for a week's stay also makes the property less accessible to a local, living-wage earner who is seeking a home. As one councillor noted in the minutes of a planning committee meeting in Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council three years ago, the issue is the inability of young people to secure housing and the impact on settlements, schools and sports clubs. <BR /> <BR />Some might argue that motions such as this are anti-tourism, but they are far from it. Our tourism offer is one of our greatest assets, but tourism cannot become the sole driver of the housing market.”
“Rural and coastal communities in East Londonderry already face demographic and economic challenges, including the outward migration of younger people and their distance from major employment centres. The packaging of holiday homes as holiday lets adds another barrier to those seeking to live and work locally. <BR /> <BR />On the north coast, which is an area of outstanding natural beauty and tourism importance but also a place where people live all year round and raise families, it is said that the balance has tipped much too far.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council is actively considering that. <BR /> <BR />A home that lies empty for months or that is occupied only for transient stays does not support the community ties that a long-term resident does. While tourism is vital, we must guard against creating a situation in which the only people who can live permanently in the area are those of significant means, thereby skewing the character of the place and potentially undermining the local workforce. <BR /> <BR />A number of factors add to the issue. The cost-of-living crisis has increased pressure on housing, and there is the need for affordable new-build homes.”
“Indeed, minutes of Causeway Coast planning meetings record concern from councillors that the inability of young people to secure housing in rural areas is impacting on local settlement patterns, schools and sports clubs. A home —.”
“We have heard of families who might have expected to buy a modest home being priced out, as demand is driven not by local need but by holiday-home demand or investment return from short-term lets. We have heard of the long-term rental sector being squeezed. Some houses that were once available for year-round rent are being moved into the holiday market where yields are higher, or the owners prefer to use them for themselves. <BR /> <BR />If homes are vacant for much of the year and used not by full-time residents but by holidaymakers, the fabric of a village or coastal resort can be impacted negatively. As has been said, schools, youth clubs, sports clubs and local shops all depend on a stable population. When many homes become seasonal, the viability of local services can decline.”
“The same report estimates that roughly 31% of houses in Cushendun are being used as holiday lets. <BR /> <BR />For Northern Ireland as a whole, the legislation remains unchanged. A change from a permanent dwelling to a second home or a short-term let does not require planning permission. In some of our most beautiful coastal villages, a substantial fraction of the housing stock is being removed either wholly or part-time from the permanent residential stock and, instead, used for seasonal second homes, holiday lets or non-resident ownership. <BR /> <BR />Those of us who represent the area will have heard how young adults who work locally in hospitality, tourism and retail increasingly struggle to find accommodation in the locality in which they grew up.”
“I am pleased to speak on the impact of holiday homes and short-term lets in our coastal regions. I will focus on the unique circumstances facing our north coast, including the Causeway coast and surrounding villages, where the growth in the number of second homes and short-term holiday lets is certainly one factor that is impacting on housing access. Some go further and say that it impacts on the fabric of the towns and villages in that area. In the north coast area and across the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council area, data from coastal villages such as Portballintrae and Cushendun indicates that second homes and short-term lets are becoming a dominant part of the housing stock. According to a report by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, up to half of the properties in Portballintrae are estimated to be second homes.”
“A recent story from UTV showed that, due to equipment breakdown, nearly 10,000 HPV or smear tests have been sent to GB for testing. That is yet another indictment of our cervical screening facilities in Northern Ireland.”
“<BR /> <BR />Furthermore, a whistle-blower has warned that oversight and quality assurance in the programme have not significantly changed and that internal and external checks have not been sufficient to prevent reoccurrence of errors. That raises questions. How were underperforming screeners allowed to run for 13 years? Why were remedial actions not triggered sooner? What was the role of oversight bodies, management, governance and quality assurance in enabling or failing to stop that slide? Time and time again, women who have been affected say that they have also been met with a slow response to their questions.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is deeply concerning that, when some have called for further answers, trusts and some supporting bodies have not always been able or willing to provide full data. As I mentioned earlier, UTV's appeals for data on screening performance in a number of trusts were met with obstacles, with some citing the time required to collate and process the information. When the Information Commissioner was pressed, that office upheld that public interest and transparency outweighed internal delays. With episodes of underperformance being detected in all health and social care trusts, not just the Southern Trust, it is incredibly worrying that, in one year, 2016-17, half the screeners in the Belfast Trust failed to meet the 90% detection threshold for all abnormalities. That suggests that the issues may have been much more widespread.”
“The names of those two women should weigh heavily on our minds in the Chamber. Lynsey, a mother of one from Portadown, died in 2018, aged just 30, after a smear test was misread. Erin, a mother of four from Tandragee, died in 2024 at just 44 years of age, her smear tests having been misread in 2012, 2015 and again in 2018. That is unforgivable. Other women who are still alive carry fear and uncertainty, not knowing whether their health is in danger as a result of errors. For some time, those women, the media and others have pushed for clear answers about who knew what and when and why so little was done and not done sooner, yet they feel that they are no further forward.”
“It is important to thank the senior health staff who spoke out about their concerns, resulting in the review of over 17,000 women's smear tests, spanning the period from January 2008 to October 2021. It is also important to thank the Royal College of Pathologists, whose independent report raised concerns about underperformance in the screening labs. It was important that, during the debate, we did not lose sight of the personal toll. That has been central to many if not all Members today. <BR /> <BR />It is very important that we applaud the campaign group Ladies with Letters, which was formed by the women who have been affected. It helped to report that eight women under the review went on to have cancer, and two whom we know of, Lynsey Courtney and Erin Harbinson, have died.”
“We thank all Members who have said openly that they will support our amendment.”
“It is really important, and it has been a good and solemn debate here today. <BR /> <BR />The cervical screening scandal cost two lives that we know of. It is causing ongoing distress, and it has shaken public confidence in a programme that should be a bulwark of women's health. We believe that our amendment strengthens the motion and, in so doing, calls for accountability, transparency and, ultimately, justice for those women of this Province, who tell us that they have been failed.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I begin by thanking Michelle Guy, who is just leaving the Chamber. I know that, in here, it is sometimes difficult for politicians to show a personal side and to show their emotional hand, but she did, and she is very brave for doing that. On behalf of us all, it is important to wish her good health. I also thank Diane Forsythe, who also spoke in a very personal way about the issues that she has faced. She told her own personal story. It is very brave of both women to tell those very personal stories. <BR /> <BR />I also thank my colleague Diane Dodds for working up the amendment and for the incredible work that she has been doing with the families who have been so badly affected by this dreadful issue. I also thank the proposers of the motion.”
“On the back of Mrs Dillon's question regarding cancer treatment, will the Minister update the House on what action he is taking to tackle the unacceptable breast cancer waiting times?”
“Given the number of times that Ballykelly traffic has been highlighted to her Department, how much weight is now being attached to progressing a bypass for Ballykelly village?”
“I thank the Minister for taking action on the matter. How can we stop HMOs in areas where there is a high number of them?”
“To allow for the extra GP sessions that are referred to in the plan, what additional funding has been allocated for GP services this winter? Is that new money or a reallocation of existing resources, and how does it differ from last year?”
“I thank the Minister for her response. Given the unique links between America and Northern Ireland, including the many in the constituency that the Minister and I share, will she engage with Tourism NI and Tourism Ireland to make sure that the Ulster-Scots story features in the branding and promotion next year?”
“In a similar vein, how will the Minister ensure that any legislation that is brought forward is operable and workable with local councils?”
“As the hours count down to what is a David and Goliath moment, all that I have to say from the House to the changing room at Windsor Park is this: come on, the green and white army.”
“Having previously qualified for three World Cup Finals, at Euro 2016 in France, there were those goals against Ukraine — from Gareth McAuley's header and then Niall McGinn — the pride, the tears and the memories that live long. Tonight could be another of those nights — one of those games that you talk about for years. We go into the game with no fear. From Michael O'Neill, who will take charge of the national side for the 100th time, and from the lads who will wear that shirt — a shirt that we are so proud to wear all over the world — all we ask for is fight, belief and the never-say-die spirit that makes this place so special. Germany may bring the superstars, but we will bring something that cannot be trained for. We will bring spirit and the kind of fight that does not let up.”
“<BR /> <BR />While we are not the biggest country in world football and do not have the biggest-name world stars, my goodness, we have the biggest hearts. Full credit to Gary McAllister and the Amalgamation of Official Northern Ireland Supporters' Clubs, who are campaigning to drive home the importance of our doing our bit tonight by wearing green and turning up the noise. I have experienced German fans at home and away games, and, to their credit, they have been nothing but friendly. While we go into battle on the pitch, our fans will again show that there is mutual respect off it. <BR /> <BR />Our wee country has had highs and lows. We have seen lean years, cold nights and empty seats, but the green and white army never stopped turning up; they never stopped singing. Then, the magic started to come back.”
“Tonight is not just another game. It is not just 90 minutes of football in Belfast. No, tonight, under the floodlights at Windsor Park, we welcome giants of world football, Germany. They are the 12th highest-ranked team in the world and have been world or European champions on seven occasions. They have done it all. Indeed, I read last night that Germany have lost only four of 107 World Cup qualifiers. However, let me say this: they have never faced the full-throttle passion of the green and white army in such a key game on our home turf. Germany will face our pride, and they will face serious noise — a noise that Windsor has never experienced before. Germany will walk out to a wall of green in Belfast.”
“Some others suggest that a dedicated ward, properly staffed and properly treating conditions like postpartum psychosis, would be better that what we currently have on offer. <BR /> <BR />Mothers deserve better than what is currently offered, families deserve better, and our newborn babies in their first few days in this world deserve better.”
“It is deeply tragic for those women. The death in 2018 of Orlaith Quinn, who took her own life on a ward at the Royal Jubilee, saw the coroner call for an MBU in 2022. We cannot see another tragic case such as that. <BR /> <BR />I look forward to the Minister updating the Assembly on the current status of the business case for establishing a mother-and-baby unit at Belfast City Hospital. We submitted an amendment as some members of a local peer support group support the need for the Minister to put in place an interim measure that will provide specialist care while the unit is being created. Some others would prefer women to travel to the mainland for gold standard care, but an interim measure cannot be a replacement for the funding and building of a specific MBU.”
“<BR /> <BR />A mother-and-baby unit is a place where mothers can receive specialist expert inpatient care while remaining close to their babies, preserving that vital bond that is central to maternal recovery and infant well-being. Research states that some women feel lifelong trauma and guilt as a result of being separated from their newborn baby. Other research found that women who have been treated in MBUs recover better and feel more satisfied with their care, keeping mums together in a safe and supportive environment. The status quo, where mothers are placed in acute psychiatric wards separated from their newborns in settings that are neither designed nor resourced to meet their unique needs, just is not fair. Indeed, it is estimated that around 35 women will require hospitalisation every year for postpartum psychosis.”
“No mother should have to face such a crisis alone, and, crucially, no mother should be forced to choose between accessing life-saving treatment and staying with her baby. <BR /> <BR />We in this region remain the only part of the UK without a dedicated MBU, with us being told that an MBU will not be operational until at least 2030, even though it is a topic that has been recognised as a need as far back as 20 years ago. As of 2023, there were 22 accredited units in the UK — two in Scotland and one in Wales. You could therefore safely say that this is a shortfall in our healthcare system. Mothers here deserve the same level of support that is afforded to families elsewhere. My understanding is that there is no MBU in Ireland also, but work is under way. However, it appears that they too are no further forward than we are.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank the proposer of the motion. I will speak on the need for a regional mother-and-baby unit. <BR /> <BR />Bringing a child into the world is often described as one of life's most fulfilling, joyful experiences. I can think of the happiness of my wife and I when our little girl was born on New Year's Eve in Causeway Hospital. It is an emotion that I recall well of being overwhelmingly joyful, yet, for some mothers, it can also be a time of overwhelming emotional turmoil, fear and isolation. Postpartum mental health challenges, including the deeply distressing and frightening condition of postpartum psychosis, can arise suddenly and with devastating impact. Indeed, every year, around 35 women in the Province experience this condition.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. What impact will the plan have on those who will be assisted into work?”
“Minister, what is your advice to all those families who will potentially wait years for such an assessment in the Western Trust?”
“She referred to how harm reduction measures save lives, and I am glad that she also talked about how dangerous drugs are. I say again that we cannot normalise the taking of illegal drugs. I also thank Paul Frew, the proposer of the amendment. He pitched his comments at a level on which we can all agree: we need to save lives. He also focused on how taking illegal drugs is wrong. No one should have drugs returned, and I will repeat that there are no safe illegal drugs. <BR /> <BR />Before I conclude, I thank the Minister for acknowledging the pain of families. It is always important to inject a human touch into what sometimes can be very stale debates in the Chamber, and he certainly did that today.”
“That begs the following questions. What issues can be discussed? What training do staff have? Does so-called confidentiality prevent onward referral to the police of information that is likely to lead to prosecutions? <BR /> <BR />The DUP supports protections for young people who attend concerts and wants there to be effective means of alerting concertgoers about dangerous substances that are in circulation. We have to be careful, however, not to compromise the integrity of taking a criminal justice approach to the supply and possession of illegal drugs in order to drive down the number of families left devastated, and, in some cases, with an empty chair. Again, that is why we sought to amend the motion. In doing so, we wanted to strengthen it. <BR /> <BR />I will not rehash Members' comments. I thank the proposer, Órlaithí Flynn.”
“I will not today, because I am late for another event. <BR /> <BR />We must not normalise drug use, especially at events that so many young people attend. It is wrong for drugs to be returned or for advice to be given on their so-called safe usage. There are no safe illegal drugs. The motion, unfortunately, makes no reference to whether the expectation will be that those providing rapid on-site testing at festivals and concerts will have to procure a licence to operate in advance. That is why we tabled an amendment to the motion. The Home Office has governed the issuing of such licences in GB, and it would be an oversight for this part of the UK to go it alone and take a less stringent and less safe approach. The HSE in the Irish Republic, which operates such testing at concerts, has described its services as:”
“I echo Paul Frew's comment that it is important to point out that there are no safe ways of taking illegal drugs. Although we recognise the role that harm reduction measures can play, such measures must always be complemented by the police identifying people who are involved in the supply of drugs, arresting them and bringing them before the courts.”
“I will repeat the figures: in a 12-month period up until the end of June 2025, there were 6,769 drug seizures and 3,049 drug-related arrests.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. <BR /> <BR />Every summer, thousands of people attend festivals and concerts. They go to enjoy music, have fun and make memories. Those events are fantastic and tend to be well run. I think of the Stendhal Festival in my constituency. People go for the music, the beer and the craic. I encourage anyone in the Chamber to attend at least once. We know, however, that, for some, the night at a concert or festival does not end safely; indeed, drug-related deaths and medical emergencies are becoming all too common. Paul Frew, who moved the amendment, laid bare the startling figures on drug seizures and deaths.”
“She needs to listen to the people of the region and act urgently. Rather than have more active travel schemes, we need our potholes fixed.”
“With recent news indicating that the scheme had been extended into early 2026, it is incumbent on the Department to act now to put measures in place to mitigate further daily delays for fed-up drivers. <BR /> <BR />I ask the Sinn Féin Minister why the completion of the Clooney Road active travel scheme cannot be done in the evenings. Unlike other traffic schemes carried out in the evenings that subsequently met with objections due to late-night noise, the scheme does not impact on any populated residential areas and would therefore not face similar public anger. The public anger in the region is palpable. Public representatives are in post to act in the best interests of the public. The Minister's Department said recently that it will assess the traffic management: the Sinn Féin Minister needs to do more.”
“<BR /> <BR />The scheme removes what was once a hard shoulder that, on many occasions, has been used by vehicles to pull over to allow ambulances and other emergency vehicles to pass on that exceptionally busy and key route in the north-west. The scheme is to create a cycle path on a road that has an estimated 18,000 vehicles on it every day. There is not a day that passes that I or any other public rep does not receive complaints from road users about the traffic delays on the Ballykelly to Greysteel road. In my 20 years in public life, I cannot recall so much frustration and anger at a road scheme. So many members of the public have described it as a total waste of public money. The huge tailbacks are hurting the people of Ballykelly, Greysteel, Londonderry and everywhere in between.”
“In early autumn 2024, the then Minister for Infrastructure, John O'Dowd, announced a £2·6 million active travel scheme for the A2 Clooney Road in Ballykelly. The scheme commenced in late 2024. The 2·6 kilometre-long scheme was touted as one that would improve facilities for pedestrians and cyclists. Furthermore, the carriageway was to be resurfaced. Minister O'Dowd said that the scheme would increase opportunities for walking, wheeling and cycling. He also asked road users for their patience while the scheme was being carried out. To facilitate the work, temporary traffic management measures were to be in place for a period of 33 weeks.”
“<BR /> <BR />Given the importance of the issue, we felt that the original motion was a little bit narrow in scope. Although we support cross-border cooperation, we need to ensure that women have the best care here locally, wherever and however possible.”
“It is clear that specialist care is key to managing the condition effectively, and that the current system in Northern Ireland falls far short of offering the required levels of specialist service. Women who are affected want to see investment in the creation of specialist clinics to provide expert care. In areas of the UK, including Scotland and Wales, accredited specialist care has been shown to improve outcomes, including better public awareness. <BR /> <BR />As with the issue of the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells that we debated last week, Northern Ireland should not be left behind. As I said in last week's health debate, we have some of the very best hospitals; in fact, some are world class. We also have world-class staff. We should, therefore, be on a par with the very best.”
“<BR /> <BR />Anxiety and depression are said to be very common amongst those living with the condition due to the constant pain and the frustration of trying to obtain a diagnosis. Women with the condition suffer from intense chronic pain that can make everyday activities, such as work, socialising and even basic self-care, feel impossible. Those symptoms can lead to absenteeism from work and school, which, in turn, has an obvious impact on the economy. <BR /> <BR />Research tends to show that excision surgery, which involves the removal of tissue, is the most effective treatment for women with the condition, offering them better long-term outcomes.”
“There is no specialist centre operating in the Province, so the problem is compounded even further. Any delay in receiving a diagnosis can lead to worsening symptoms, permanent organ damage and even infertility. There is no doubt that endometriosis is a chronic and debilitating condition that has profound physical, emotional and social implications for those who are affected. It is a disease — I have to be graphic — in which tissue, similar to the lining of the uterus, grows outside the uterus, often on the ovaries, the fallopian tubes or the bowel. That tissue tends to behave as it would inside the uterus — it thickens, breaks down and often bleeds — but it has no way to exit the body, so it can cause severe inflammation, scar tissue formation, adhesions and often extreme pelvic pain.”
“Data suggests that one in 10 women in Northern Ireland is affected by the condition. From my maths, that translates as approximately 96,000 women living with a condition that currently has no cure. The figures are very similar to the UK average. It is further estimated that around 200 million women worldwide are affected, yet endometriosis remains one of the most common conditions that women face without its attracting the high-profile public attention that other conditions tend to attract. <BR /> <BR />The problem with endometriosis is with the diagnosis. It is shocking that it can take eight or nine years from the onset of symptoms for a woman to receive a formal diagnosis. In Northern Ireland, that is compounded by already-long waiting lists, with some patients even reporting that their symptoms have been misdiagnosed for many years.”