Diane Forsythe
South Down · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“The Schomberg Society and the staff and pupils of Kilkeel Primary School worked hard alongside the team from Blue Eagle Productions, especially director Rosie McClelland, to deliver a fantastic performance. We saw Northern Ireland's history, heritage and the pupils' great talent shining through.”
“<BR /> <BR />The production was an excellent way to mark that important historic event and for those P7 pupils to bring their time in primary school to a close. It was bittersweet for the year group, as one of their dear classmates was notably missing.”
“As we come to the end of another school term, I pay tribute to some excellent work at Kilkeel Primary School in my constituency, especially by the P7s. I declare an interest, as my son is one of them.”
“Mrs McCabe, the school principal, shared with the children the words of Proverbs chapter 17, verse 17 on how true friends love at all times — through the good times and the hardships of life. I thank Mrs McCabe for her leadership.”
“The Minister will not be surprised by my question on the delay of the accounts certification on SEUPB, as we are in June 2026, 18 months after the end of financial year 2024. Those accounts have still not been certified in both jurisdictions, and a full further financial year has since passed.”
“Minister, you say that you want to avoid unintended consequences for businesses and property owners, but those measures do nothing for existing long-term businesses that are struggling on, already occupy premises and cannot afford to invest in their properties, and there will be consequences for them.”
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“When they raised concerns because that was no longer a single-sex safe space for them, they were ridiculed by management. I commend them for standing up for their privacy and common sense in the workplace, and for their tribunal victory. They were right to stand their ground, and they showed immense integrity and courage. <BR /> <BR />There is a pattern. Jennifer Melle, an NHS nurse, is facing ongoing persecution because she referred to a biological male and convicted sex offender as "Mr". She has been suspended for two years, unable to work, and is being threatened with revocation of her licence, which would leave her unable to practice. Despite the fact that that person lunged at Jennifer and racially abused her, Jennifer is somehow the one who is under the microscope.”
“Nurses in our health system are amazing people who are dedicated to our care at our times of most need. They are widely considered by onlookers to be overworked and underpaid, but, my goodness, they go well beyond the call of duty while providing incredible care in hugely pressurised circumstances. We heard last week about how many attacks they sustain in the line of duty. <BR /> <BR />It has been horrific to watch how some of our nurses have been treated. They have been attacked and ridiculed by those in authority in the NHS under a woke agenda. You have only to look at the Darlington nurses, who, in their highly pressurised clinical work environments, want to go to their single-sex changing area to get changed in privacy at the end of a hard day.”
“I have raised it repeatedly, and I have brought it to the House today, because I do not know what more I can do. Minister, I ask you to please recognise the issues and make a public commitment today to take some meaningful action on the recurrent flooding across South Down. It has been going on for too long, and our local people deserve better. <BR /> <BR />I thank everyone who stayed for the Adjournment debate. I hope that we take this opportunity to join together and that we see some action.”
“Two years on, the lack of visible progress on that busy main road through the mountains is such a frustration for local people who regularly travel from Kilkeel to Hilltown and Rathfriland and to and from the Mournes. I am pleased to hear that work will progress on that soon following the appointment of a contractor. I hope that the Minister can provide us with some more detail on that. <BR /> <BR />Minister, overall, I believe that we all want the same thing here: we do not want recurrent flooding issues to cripple my constituency or anywhere else. I understand the financial pressures that you are under, but as I have said to you before — I will say it in the House today — my constituents are frustrated and exasperated. They have asked what you and other politicians are doing and why no one is looking at this.”
“We all need to work together to tackle those important issues, because we need to restore public confidence in what we can achieve together. We cannot continue like this, with people panicking about every single weather warning. There have been plenty of weather warnings lately, and every time that there is one for heavy rain, I have people on panicking, looking for sandbags, asking for crisis numbers and stocking up their homes. <BR /> <BR />In South Down, the floods and storms of 2023 caused land slippages and partial road closures. The Shore Road, Rostrevor, was partially closed for over a year, and the Kilkeel Road, Hilltown, is still reduced to one lane over two years on. Minister, I, like many members of the public, want to know the cost of the temporary traffic lights there. I am sure that it is eye-watering.”
“It seemed as though everything that could go wrong at the one time came together, with a slow and poorly communicated series of recovery actions that led to huge delays, devastating many businesses, which have never recovered, and the Downpatrick and County Down Railway. It has been, quite frankly, soul-destroying for the people of Downpatrick to see the low response and the lack of recovery actions on a long-term basis to date. Minister, I ask you today to please outline what steps you will take to address the issue going forward for the people of Downpatrick. <BR /> <BR />Minister, I know that you are one person and that you cannot solve everything, but, by taking on board the issues, you can show the people of South Down that you are listening and taking the recurrent flooding seriously, and direct a plan of action.”
“I support the calls of the RCRG and of the wider Newcastle community, and I urge NI Water and you, Minister, to sort out that issue once and for all, before we have another catastrophic flooding incident. As a local representative, I do not want to be taking media calls on catastrophes in my constituency. I want to see the issues addressed. <BR /> <BR />Finally, on some specific recurrent issues, I highlight Downpatrick. We have discussed the longstanding issues there in the Chamber a number of times, which, just like those in Newcastle, need a permanent solution. For too long, planning has not taken account of the local floodplains. As local elected representatives, we joined together in 2023 when the heart was completely ripped out of the county town after it was submerged in water.”
“Out-of-sewer flooding and drains surcharge occurred, yet again, on 19 October 2025 on Marguerite Avenue, an area that has been flooded many times. The inadequate pumping station in Marguerite, which is not fit for purpose, needs to be replaced. The emergency protocol currently in place, whereby a temporary pump is brought in at short notice, is only a sticking plaster as the pump was, once again, found to be ineffective during the heavy rainfall in October past, when floodwater spilled out, yet again, into the avenue, with five gullies under floodwater at 5.30 pm, even when the rain had eased. The area was badly flooded in autumn 2023 despite flood walls being in place.”
“I know, Minister, that you met the group, and I appreciate your coming to the constituency and doing that. That community organisation was established following a perceived lack of government agency support, with homes submerged in 2019 and 2023, causing severe damage and insurance policy hikes. Minister, things are still terrible, and I agree with the group that the sticking-plaster solutions have left them on the verge of collapse. Recent flooding on Tullybrannigan Road was horrific and was cited as being the worst in 40 years. I was at it, and I just could not believe some of the things that I saw. <BR /> <BR />Minister, we need to sort out, once and for all, the horrendous drainage problems in the Newcastle area.”
“People are literally stranded in their homes. Every time there is severe flooding, it is the same story. The people who live there are just devastated by damage to their homes, and they are not seeing action. I understand that there is a range of issues, but they do need to be actioned. There are a number of local estates with issues, including Grahamville Estate, Kilkeel, where the river through the estate has never been addressed, and homes in the park keep getting flooded due to the same issues every time. People deserve better. They cannot raise the issues more forcefully, and as an elected representative, I do not know where else to raise them. <BR /> <BR />We then have Newcastle, where recurrent flooding has been so bad that the Newcastle regional community resilience group (RCRG) was set up.”
“Following that, the previous Infrastructure Minister took action and approved a review, and a few miles of resurfacing was done on the A2 from Kilkeel to Ballymartin. There needs to be a full review of the road, our main access point in the Mournes. The previous Minister promised that, and I asked you about it, Minister, when you took office, but we have not seen it progressed. Councillors on Newry, Mourne and Down District Council wrote to you on the matter, and I appeal to you to urgently review that road. <BR /> <BR />Also along the A2, we have significant, recurrent flooding on dangerous corners at Glassdrumman and Killowen. Killowen was on the news during recent flooding, with people using canoes to bring people their grocery shopping, so badly was it cut off. When that happens, the entire area is shut down.”
“There is a clear lack of recovery action also in assessing and maintaining the roads after they have been flooded, and that does not inspire public confidence either, as the roads are visibly eroding where they have collapsed in places, and claims for damage to cars increase. I see those increasingly coming through my constituency office, obviously since the recent frosts but after floods as well. Erosion was particularly prevalent further along the A2 at Kilkeel a couple of years ago, where recurrent flooding caused the main road to collapse inwardly with a sinkhole just below Riverside, which cut the town off completely. Following that, I called for a full review of the road structure. Segments of it were of extreme concern as the cliffs corrode into the beach. <BR /> <BR />In December 2024, I tabled a motion on local roads.”
“That was one of the first significant road issues that came up when I was elected, and there just seems to be continual clearing and crisis management, but nothing fully resolves that issue, and the road itself deteriorates further. There needs to be a serious permanent solution and action plan.”
“I just do not know, so I raise the matter in the House today in the hope that, together, we can come up with some type of solution. When you approach the area between Shannaghmore and Bloody Bridge and see the flooding, there is something really ironic about looking at a road flooded like a swimming pool, when its outside wall is literally on the coast and you can see the sea. I am not an engineer or an expert in any way, but is there no way in which those huge floods can be helped out to sea in order to clear the road?”
“Along the A2, one of the worst areas for significant and recurrent flooding is the stretch from the Shannaghmore Outdoor Learning Centre to Bloody Bridge. From when I was a child, I can remember how badly the area flooded, which was almost every time that there was heavy rain. In one of the most recent lots of heavy rain, it flooded so quickly that cars had to be abandoned and the PSNI had to issue a notice for drivers to avoid the road. It was a crisis situation. When that part of the road floods so badly that the road is closed, the diversion route is up through Bryansford, which had a number of floods of its own during the most recent bad rain. <BR /> <BR />People turn to me, as an elected representative, to ask, "What can we do differently?".”
“We need to do something to address the public concern. I have therefore taken the opportunity to bring the topic to the House today to demonstrate how seriously I take it and to give the Minister for Infrastructure the opportunity to hear about some of the very real issues. <BR /> <BR />As I said, the rural road network in South Down is critical to all of us who live and work there. One of the most significant roads is the A2, which runs right down the coast from Newcastle to Warrenpoint. When there is a problem on the road, it causes absolute mayhem. Large haulage vehicles and buses struggle with back-road diversions when the roads are blocked. Ambulances and emergency services cannot get through, and things come to a standstill.”
“Long before I was elected as an MLA, I remember the same areas flooding over and over again. Some of those areas have moved a little, but they are largely the same. That frustrates me, as a resident and a commuter, and I completely understand why people in my constituency are so annoyed at this being a repeated issue, because I am one of them. The flooding is so visible, and it affects everyone. <BR /> <BR />Constituents of mine are rightly frustrated. They feel exasperated, and they keep asking, "What is anyone doing about it? What are our politicians doing?". I raise the issues regularly and frequently and genuinely do my best to make the case for the people in my area, as do my team on the local council, as well as other elected representatives in the Chamber and on the council. It is frustrating to see nothing change.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, and I thank the Minister and my South Down colleagues for being here today. I am sure that we are united in our desire to make real improvements and to address the issue of recurrent flooding and the lack of recovery actions in South Down. <BR /> <BR />We all know that living in, working in and representing a rural constituency such as South Down brings with it some really specific challenges. Some of the infrastructure issues are very different from those in urban areas. I know that the Minister represents a constituency that is also quite rural and thus understands the issues. In South Down, we do not have rail links, motorways, big dual carriageways or significant road networks. It is a smaller rural road network that we travel on and very much rely on.”
“Minister, your proposal is a statement of numbers and cuts without a discussion about how it aligns with the agreed Programme for Government. There is a lack of opportunities and sensitivity analysis being set out. Although you are working towards the fiscal framework, the proposals do not include what that will look like or what it will mean. You talked about delivering efficiencies, but the proposals do not include them or show what that means, nor do they include things such as where you plan to increase the amount of rates collected. When the consultation period is over and the full Budget proposals are brought forward, do you plan to include a path to maximising those opportunities and enabling us to deliver on the agreed Programme for Government objectives to prioritise public services for people here?”
“In the Department for the Economy's accounts, there are financial assets of over £4 billion for student loans sitting on the balance sheet. That is highlighted by the C&AG as an item that she has disclaimed, saying that that valuation is out of date and unreliable. If that is proven to be so when it is reassessed, there is potential for the write-down of that asset, which could cost the Northern Ireland block hundreds of millions of pounds. Minister, have you reviewed the detail of that, and how much risk are we at of taking a huge hit to the Northern Ireland public finances?”
“A multi-year Budget is not a "prize", as John O'Dowd said, if it is delivered just to tick a box. It needs to mean more than that. We want to see a multi-year Budget in place to enable longer-term strategic planning, but it must be realistic and achievable and put essential public services first to ensure that taxpayers' money is used efficiently and delivers for families and communities across Northern Ireland. As we enter the eight-week consultation period, I encourage members of the public and all organisations to respond to ensure that any Budget brought forward delivers, as the Programme for Government says, "what matters most" to people and communities in Northern Ireland.”
“In 2025, when the Communities Minister brought forward an anti-poverty strategy, it was slammed by Sinn Féin, but that strategy has no funding in the proposals. For a party that campaigns in support of workers, housing and childcare, it is shocking that it fails to provide funding allocations to deliver those strategies. We very much welcome ring-fencing for waiting lists, but that area needs to remain ring-fenced unlike in previous years. We need to see the efficiencies driven by Budget proposals, which need to be aligned with Programme for Government priorities. Front-line services must be prioritised.”
“The choices and allocations set out by the Sinn Féin Finance Minister are deeply flawed and will require significant changes to gain our support. <BR /> <BR />Sinn Féin joined other Executive parties in agreeing the Programme for Government and its key priorities, yet now it is failing to fund it. Childcare is a huge issue for our working families and the economy of Northern Ireland, and it is an agreed priority in the Programme for Government, yet Sinn Féin has stopped progress on childcare by applying a real-time cut to its funding. We have repeatedly heard Sinn Féin in the Republic of Ireland blast the Irish Government about social housing, and we have an agreed priority to deliver housing in Northern Ireland, yet Sinn Féin is not providing the funding to enable the Programme for Government housing targets to be delivered.”
“Happy new year, Mr Speaker. I, too, welcome my colleague Gareth Wilson to the Chamber. <BR /> <BR />Last week, when we were in recess and without agreement from the Executive, the Finance Minister issued a written ministerial statement outlining his proposals for a multi-year Budget. It was disappointing that he issued that without agreement and outside the opportunity for scrutiny, setting up a week-long media platform on which he distanced himself from the outworkings of the proposals, which fail to prioritise front-line services. Let me be clear: the draft Budget is John O'Dowd's Budget. It is a Sinn Féin Budget that has not been agreed on and is not supported by the DUP. It fails to put essential public services first. We recognise the very real financial pressures faced in Northern Ireland.”
“The Minister has been clear in saying that clear rules are set down in law about when the ombudsman should be removed from office. Does she accept that the threshold is somewhat lower if the ombudsman herself chooses to resign?”
“Thank you for the statement, Minister. As outlined, £250 million, including £162 million of capital, was returned and reallocated in December this year. It is late in the year. I very much welcome the allocation to the Department for Communities for social housing, which is a key priority in the Programme for Government. However, had that been reallocated earlier, the Communities Minister would have been able to hit the 1,950 housing target. He is keen to deliver 1,750, and I am confident that he will. Can lessons be learned about how we can reallocate funding earlier, as soon as it becomes available, to meet those targets?”
“I thank the Minister for bringing forward the disability strategy today and for the announcement on the disability forum. Minister, you mentioned the fully representative nature of the forum and referred to the young disabled people who will be on it. However, given that we have an ageing population, Minister, can you confirm that older people will also be on the panel, as well as representatives from rural areas, such as those in my constituency, where deaf and disabled people face increased barriers and isolation? Transportation is a particular issue in accessing services.”
“Will the Minister detail the risk that is involved in breaking parity with GB through the Bill that is going through Parliament and other interventions by DWP to tackle welfare fraud?”
“I thank the Minister for his commitment to address fuel poverty. Minister, do you have any plans to increase funding for the affordable warmth scheme?”
“Does the deputy First Minister agree that the attendance of the First Minister at the funeral of Bobby Storey during the pandemic was hugely damaging to public confidence and the Executive's advice?”
“It is my understanding that the legislation will, through the guidelines that will be developed, have a retrospective element. For those who have lost a baby but have never spoken about it and who are starting to move forward in their grief, receiving a certificate will be powerful and important for them in that journey. <BR /> <BR />Again, we think of all those who have experienced loss, and we remember all those babies. We are really pleased that, through the Bill's passage at Final Stage today, we are recognising the lives of all babies who have been lost in Northern Ireland. We welcome the legislation.”
“Working alongside the Minister, our Committee is really pleased to have been able to bring forward the scheme. <BR /> <BR />The Committee heard evidence from members of the Forget-me-not Group who shared their powerful stories, and, in debating the Bill, Members bravely spoke of their experiences. During Baby Loss Awareness Week, Committee colleague Jemma Dolan had a ribbon display at the front of Stormont, where we welcomed some of those groups. It was a really powerful moment as we joined together to remember all the babies who had been lost. <BR /> <BR />As the legislation has progressed, it has opened up conversations, and I am proud to have played a small part in that. So many people have reached out to me on baby loss in generations past.”
“I am also pleased to speak at the Bill's Final Stage today. The legislation will see compassion being written into the law in Northern Ireland through the registration of deaths process. As others have said, it is a great example of how we can deliver something really good here when everyone works together. <BR /> <BR />When baby loss certificates were introduced in Great Britain, many people called for them here. The Health Minister and the Finance Minister shared a commitment to introducing them quickly, but I congratulate the Finance Minister on being the one to bring the scheme forward through the Bill. When the Committee moved to replace the COVID regulations, we recognised the opportunity for legislation to provide for baby loss certificates. We thank the officials for working at pace to develop that within the Bill.”
“He spoke of "faceless thugs", but, when we think of the history of South Down, we think of the faceless thugs of the IRA who murdered William Heenan in Legananny and Alan Johnston in Kilkeel as he went about his work. We do not want to return to the days of the past. This is not the future that we want for our children. We deserve better in Northern Ireland. We stand with our elected representatives, and we support the police investigation.”
“In this modern world, everyone who has a platform needs to take responsibility and be held to account for how it is used. It is difficult for those of us who stand as minorities in our constituencies, such as myself and the six unionist councillors — five of whom are from the DUP — in the Newry, Mourne and Down area. My colleague Willie Irwin in Newry and Armagh, my colleague Gary Middleton in Foyle and I suffer abuse and threatening behaviour regularly. It is not lost on us. That is unacceptable for every one of us. The video last night was unacceptable. Like the leader of the Opposition, I do not like to give it any further publicity, but it needs to be called out. <BR /> <BR />The hypocrisy of the Sinn Féin MP for the area is also not lost on me.”
“<BR /> <BR />In this online world, such videos and threats are even more dangerous than they were when I was young because they are shared so widely. This morning, it was disturbing for me to face questions from my children, who asked, "Mummy, is the IRA back?". Growing up in the minority unionist community in South Down in the 1980s and 1990s, we were terrorised regularly. I do not want that for my children; they deserve better. That is a key reason why I stand in the House as an elected representative for South Down: to make this a better place for them and their future. <BR /> <BR />It is imperative that the PSNI identifies who posted the video and their IP address. No matter what is discovered about the organisation, those who were involved in posting the video and the malicious communications need to be prosecuted.”
“The DUP unequivocally condemns all violence. We condemn threats of violence towards elected representatives. Last night, as has been mentioned, we saw a disturbing video appear online in which masked men made threatening comments towards local politicians in the Newry, Mourne and Down area. That is unacceptable. People who have stood up for the community and been democratically elected to those positions by the public should never be subjected to that. The PSNI has confirmed that it is investigating the video. We fully support the investigation to establish the identity of those involved, who that group is and the viability of the threat and the steps to ensure the safety of elected representatives as they go about their business.”
“Will the First Minister ask her party to publish the details of the findings of any internal investigation that was initiated after the former Sinn Féin employee came forward?”
“Minister, do you now accept that, despite public claims, the Bill will not be introduced to the Assembly in January 2026?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. Minister, we agree that that was a bad Budget for those who work. As we move to what you do next as the Northern Ireland Finance Minister, will you support the plans of Gordon Lyons, the Communities Minister, to recover from the Treasury some of the savings from tackling benefit fraud and error to reinvest in Northern Ireland?”
“Minister, with so many things going on side by side, it is important that we get clear and accurate numbers out to the public. The Finance Committee got the latest out-turn figures in our papers, and there was reference to the December monitoring round. The Budget will be announced tomorrow, and there may be subsequent Barnett consequentials. When do you think that you will be in a position to outline what exactly the Budget means for us in Northern Ireland and be able to present that to the House?”
“All Departments face a long list of issues to address, with limited resources and funding to do so. A multi-year Budget can help Departments make long-term plans for transformation. <BR /> <BR />Finally, our amendment recognises that the UK Budget is due tomorrow. We await the news that will come from it. The multi-year Budgets, which are in draft and to which Departments have contributed, will need to reflect any significant outworkings. Our call is for the multi-year Budget to be delivered as soon as possible so that all that can be captured. Together, we face a significant challenge, and we really need to work together to deliver meaningful multi-year Budgets for the good of everyone who lives and works here. I commend the amendment to the House.”
“<BR /> <BR />As regards public procurement, each year in Northern Ireland around 5,000 contracts are awarded by public bodies that, together, are worth between £2 billion and £4 billion. The Northern Ireland Audit Office found that there is little evidence that the board has been effective in providing the strategic direction to ensure that procurement has operated effectively in Northern Ireland. With a history of recurring high-profile procurement failures that diminish stakeholder confidence in public bodies' ability to manage procurement, we need to take steps to ensure that all money spent in the public sector is spent wisely. Household budgets are managed closely to deliver value for money. We need to ensure that the up to £4 billion per year that is spent in the public sector is managed closely too.”
“That is something that the NICS must urgently address, alongside developing capacity and capability to deliver major capital projects successfully, without undue delay or preventable soaring costs. With a projected overspend exceeding £3 billion and rising, the need for transformation is urgent. We can look at the eye-watering costs associated with the new regional maternity hospital. The original completion date was December 2015 at a cost of £57·2 million. Ten years later, we still have no new hospital, and the latest estimate for it is £97·1 million. It is appalling that large procurement projects are delivered late and cost so much more than expected. We should not be numb to such a damning indictment.”
“We have called for modernisation in order to improve public service delivery. There are many hard-working individuals throughout the service who contribute substantially every day to the organisation. There are, however, areas in which Departments lack the right people, skills, know-how and experience to deliver the transformation and major projects that our communities are crying out for. The DUP wants to get to grips with the opportunity to transform public services in order to deliver efficiencies and better value for money. We want to see a review of the high number of quangos and to see some efficiencies realised. <BR /> <BR />We have highlighted in our amendment how the Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) report on the delivery of major capital projects shows that the Civil Service lacks the skills and expertise to deliver them.”
“<BR /> <BR />In order to deliver for the people of Northern Ireland, we need local Ministers to spend every pound and penny wisely. That can happen only when every Department cracks down on waste and when every party in the Executive avoids party political pet projects. That is what this party is about doing. It is not simply about getting more money but about using current resources better. Look at what Minister Lyons is doing in his Department to utilise financial transactions capital (FTC) for intermediate rent in particular. We need to see reform, transformation and efficiency. <BR /> <BR />We in the DUP are focused on delivering the scrutiny and accountability that people deserve. As a party, we have long said that the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) is in serious need of reform.”
“At present, Departments have to spend their budget by 31 March each year or lose it to another Department or back to the centre. There is often panicked year-end spending, which is not sensible and is unlikely to deliver the best value for money. It is also not sensible for a funded project to be at risk because of a slip in timing across the financial year for unforeseeable reasons. A one-year Budget does not provide the opportunity for strategic planning, and it creates undue pressure and uncertainty for many services, including our partners in the community and voluntary sector. A multi-year Budget will allow Departments to plan on a longer-term basis. For it to be successful, however, Departments need to transform and cut down on their waste, which is what our amendment emphasises.”
“Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I thank the Opposition for tabling the motion. It highlights once again the importance of moving to multi-year Budgets in Northern Ireland. While the leader of the Opposition has put on his last show of 2025, it is a serious issue. The positive impact that multi-year Budgets can have on financial governance here is an important topic. <BR /> <BR />As we have an agreed Programme for Government (PFG) with agreed shared priorities, it is important that our Budget is set to underpin those and enable the finances to flow in support of them. We all know that having to plan and manage one year at a time, with a hard cut-off at the end of the financial year, drives a different mindset and set of financial behaviours than a Budget spanning a number of years would.”
“We think of the survivors and those who live with unreported abuse and work hard to cope, and we encourage them to come forward. <BR /> <BR />As we enter the Christmas season, when tensions at home are often escalated for many, I remember my time working in Belfast and Lisburn Women's Aid and the 'Silent Night, Violent Night' campaigns. I think of all those people through this time and ask everyone to raise awareness, to look out for your neighbours and to stand together strong as women, alongside our male colleagues as a society, in calling for the end of gender-based violence.”
“<BR /> <BR />Today in the Long Gallery, the All-Ireland Mothers' Union also hosts its exhibition, 'The Souls of our Shoes'. I went this morning, and, again, it is extremely powerful to see the real shoes of real women laid out there, as donated by their families, for those who have suffered or died at the hands of their partners or ex-partners. <BR /> <BR />Mr Speaker, I thank you also for recognising the importance of this day and hosting an event to further raise awareness. <BR /> <BR />Ending violence against women and girls is emphasised as a key priority of the Executive, and, by working together, the framework is, thankfully, now in place. However, there is still a long way to go to seriously address the problems in our society. Too many women are being murdered. Today, we remember the victims of the violence.”