Nuala McAllister
North Belfast · Alliance Party · Northern Ireland
“I have submitted quite a number of questions for written answer on autism services, and the answers, sometimes on the same day from the Department, contradict themselves. The Minister often refers to the emotional health and well-being framework as the idea that will frame all of the uniform services.”
“Absolutely. Everyone is taking my speech; I was going to say that. Of course, it is complex and subjective to the individual person. If we are truly talking about keeping an individual safe and other prisoners safe, we would not do what the amendment proposes; we would carry on in the way that the system already operates, using a risk-bas…”
“I thank the Member for his question. The Assembly Commission is progressing a programme of remedial works to address defects identified in the roof of Parliament Buildings and to protect the long-term integrity of this grade A listed building. The works have been structured in two phases.”
“More often than not, we have conversations in the Chamber or in public about trans women, but that would place a trans man who has been convicted of a violent crime against a woman in a prison with women. It does not make sense, and it is not coming from the perspective of safety; it is coming from ideology.”
“In providing catering services throughout Parliament Buildings, the Assembly Commission strives to meet the differing demands of the special dietary needs of our wide customer base.”
“I support amendment No 96 and oppose amendment No 97. I do not plan to speak to amendment No 96, as there were a number of interventions last night, and I will leave many of the remarks to my party colleague the Minister of Justice. <BR /> <BR />We oppose Timothy Gaston's amendment.”
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“<BR /> <BR />An individual duty to be open and honest when mistakes are made has consistently been recommended after inquiries in Northern Ireland and the wider UK. I recognise that there is work to be done to get all of the workforce across the entire public sector on board, but we have to be honest about saying that this law does not mean punishment for making a mistake: it means that there should be no cover-ups. <BR /> <BR />To close, I thank every family that has been impacted by institutional cover-ups, whether it was the Hillsborough disaster, Muckamore or hyponatraemia or whether they were patients of Dr Watt. It has never been more important to work together. You will never walk alone.”
“<BR /> <BR />In Northern Ireland, we are all too familiar with institutional cover-ups. In recent years, we have learned of more scandals and cover-ups and a lack of truth and accountability. In my role as a member of the Health Committee and the Policing Board, I have engaged with victims and those with family members who were damaged, injured or lost their life. From Muckamore through to the cervical smear scandal and from the tragedy surrounding the murder of Katie Simpson to the families of Adam Strain, Raychel Ferguson, Claire Roberts and Conor Mitchell — the children who lost their lives due to hyponatraemia — those who have, unfortunately, lived through the consequences of a cover-up are united in their call for greater transparency and accountability from public officials, whether they be health workers, police officers or others.”
“Last week, there was a monumental occasion in Westminster with the introduction of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, which most of us know as the "Hillsborough law". The legislation will introduce an individual duty of candour for all public officials and authorities that will ensure that there is a legal duty on everyone to be open and honest when mistakes are made. We all know that the Bill comes off the back of the campaigning by the Hillsborough families and the wider community, which saw the tragedy of 97 people losing their lives. <BR /> <BR />I thank Ian Byrne MP, with whom my colleague Sorcha Eastwood and I have worked closely over the past year to ensure that Northern Ireland's voices are not lost in the Hillsborough law. I also thank the campaigners who have fought so tirelessly over the years.”
“There must also be an acknowledgement that there is a housing crisis and that we need to get it solved. Housing must always be based on need. We must ensure that we work together and that we temper our language. Alliance is committed to doing that. We are committed to working across all sections of the community to ensure that everyone is welcome and feels safe in their own home.”
“We see it on our screens when we wake up in the morning and when we check our phone before we go to bed. The way in which misinformation can spread is very dangerous, as is how hatred can spread, and we have been all too prepared to witness how that can be weaponised. <BR /> <BR />We are also seeing the Labour Government completely engage in a race to the bottom and not tackle the issues. They have failed. All of that has real-world consequences for members of our community, not only in my constituency but across Northern Ireland. Tackling attitudes that lead to such attacks will require a full-society approach, but it must begin at the top. The Executive Office urgently needs to bring in a T:BUC successor that will bring together the entire community to address sectarianism and racism.”
“<BR /> <BR />My office has been in touch with residents and community groups. I thank the Cliftonville Community Regeneration Forum and the Lower Oldpark Community Association, because they have done work in the area with residents over the past few years, and in particular this year, to bring together hundreds of residents in a celebration of the area. It is therefore not all of North Belfast or all of Northern Ireland involved, but the attacks still happen, and they need to be called out. We are almost 30 years on from the Good Friday Agreement, and the fact that this is still happening speaks volumes. The behaviour is not limited to Northern Ireland, however. Dangerous, inflammatory language on social issues is a global trend. It is something that we all have to tackle every day.”
“<BR /> <BR />In preparing for today's debate, I went over media reports and coverage of the incidents in May. They could be laid side by side, because the reports were so similar. They talk of families being intimidated out of their home; politicians speaking and condemning; and a multi-agency meeting being held to discuss how best to address the issue. All the actions and the voices were copied and pasted. That is not to downplay the importance of all political representatives calling out the actions or of all political representatives engaging with families, but it is frustrating this has happened twice in the past few months. Representatives from all parties were at the multi-agency meeting and also met residents on the ground. That is important, because we need to show leadership. We can show leadership in many ways.”
“It is with anger and frustration that I stand to speak to the motion today. There have been a lot of comments around the racist attacks that have been ongoing over the past few months and the ones that we saw last summer. However, I will focus this evening on the attacks that have taken place in my constituency of North Belfast. First of all, I will comment on some reflections from another Member from North Belfast who has spoken. I reiterate that the Alliance Party is consistent. We condemn all and any sectarian attacks, no matter what so-called side of a community you come from. The last month saw more sectarian attacks in the lower Oldpark area of North Belfast, with families feeling that they had no other option than to leave and flee the area. This comes after similar attacks in the area back in May.”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. Following the report, how will the Minister ensure that LGBT+ victims are considered in the development of any new policy, legislation or services?”
“What will the outcomes be of the £3·5 million waiting list initiative? We need answers now.”
“However, in that same period, just 89 women have received robotic-assisted surgery. That is despite clinical specialists telling me that the technology is often used elsewhere to perform hysterectomies and other gynaecological surgeries and to treat endometriosis. <BR /> <BR />This is Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month. When we have the tools to treat cancer early, we must use them. Despite clinicians begging for access to the technology, they simply do not get it. The Minister could not tell me whether gynaecology was originally considered an area where the technology could be used, but I have had clinicians tell me that it is: they are trained, and they can do it. <BR /> <BR />That is just one area where we are failing women in healthcare. Where is the women's action plan for health?”
“It cannot go on. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the £3·5 million investment in gynaecology as part of the waiting list initiative from May this year. We need to see firm evidence of how that will help the Minister reach the target of a 90% reduction in gynae waiting times by March 2029. It is an ambitious target, but we must get there. <BR /> <BR />I highlight again something that I have brought up in the Chamber before: the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust has access to state-of-the-art technology that enables robotic-assisted surgery. It is being used with great success to treat urology patients, particularly those with prostate cancer. In response to a question for written answer in January of this year, the Minister confirmed that 513 men had, rightly, been treated using that technology since 2019.”
“Today, I talk about the inequalities facing women when they try to access healthcare in Northern Ireland. I am sure that many of you, as with my office in North Belfast, are inundated with calls and emails. Women are reaching out over social media, desperate for people to listen. Many suffer in silence, and those who do not just hope that one clinician will take them seriously. <BR /> <BR />Northern Ireland has the longest wait in all of the UK for an endometriosis diagnosis: nine years and five months on average. All the while, the women experience symptoms such as tiredness, severe pain and bleeding. I pay tribute to local journalist Sarah McCann, who, earlier this year, began an awareness campaign, Endo the Battle, after she had to wait 20 years for a diagnosis of endometriosis — a diagnosis that she actually got in England.”
“I thank the Minister for answering questions and allowing me to participate in the debate.”
“I agree. They should also be entitled to wear trousers, just because of weather aspects. I remember having to wear skirts and tights and being absolutely freezing going to school. Then there are schools that prescribe only particular coats and jackets. I look forward to seeing the guidance, but you can understand our perspective, when we have constituents who come to us who are not allowed to wear trousers. That is just one example. Our preference is not to leave it up to just guidance for a school to then consult and for the school to have the final say. It is really important that the child's voice be heard first and foremost. <BR /> <BR />I support all the amendments in group 2, and I look forward to seeing any changes that the Department feels that it has to make at Further Consideration Stage.”
“I will in a second, yes. <BR /> <BR />Thank you for the clarity, Minister. I am not on the Education Committee, so I cannot be across the detail of every single line in the Bill. However, what you have just said raises the question, "What if the school still says no?" There are schools out there that do say no. We need representation on behalf of pupils, in particular girls who want to wear trousers, for example. I can give way now.”
“I am lucky that I have a school that is flexible, but we have many constituents who come to us who have schools that are not flexible, and we are talking about kids who do have sensory needs and children with special educational needs. I hope that those children in particular are provided for in the guidance.”
“I thank the Minister for that intervention. Will he include in the guidance the options for girls to wear trousers as a matter of comfort? Is that something that he will seek to include in the guidance? That is an issue: I hated wearing a pinafore for the entire 14 years or more that I was at school, so that should be an option. There are, however, kids who have sensory needs. I think of my household and its struggles. Just because the school has guidance to be flexible, and the uniform can be cheap, some items can only be found in certain stores, and that does not always make it easy. We can only get my son's uniform in one place, because he cannot have belts, buckles, zips or buttons. It is rather difficult. In that sense, it is better to simply wear joggers.”
“Is there an opportunity in that guidance to reflect on the idea of all kids being able to be comfortable and to be themselves, so that they can learn best in that play-based environment and beyond? We know that school is also in the playground, and kids like to run and mess about as much as possible.”
“<BR /> <BR />The idea of a play-based uniform goes beyond the Foundation Stage. We know the importance of physical activity throughout the school day. One of the issues that concerns me is how children with sensory needs are considered. Young people are put around a desk for six hours. They get breaks at recess and lunchtime and can play outside, but we all know that no child can sit and work throughout the day without standing up, walking around and getting their jitters out: anything to be able to loosen up. Some of that goes to the point around play-based uniforms. We know that all kids want to have fun in the playground, and some of them, my child included, in the classroom itself. The uniform does not always lend itself to that. <BR /> <BR />My question for the Minister concerns the guidance that he will publish.”
“<BR /> <BR />We have all, ourselves and our kids at home, had experiences of what a uniform may look like. I am disappointed, however, by how far some of the amendments in this group go. I do not want to speak too much, going by previous contributors' remarks, about the amendments that were not selected. <BR /> <BR />I want to highlight amendment No 5, which was tabled by my colleague Nick Mathison, concerning the practicality of play-based uniforms. We all respect that schools need flexibility in order to ensure that the kids can feel comfortable but also take a pride in their school and in representing it. That can be done, however, by wearing a jumper with the school logo on it with basic tracksuit bottoms or joggers, so that they are still representing their school.”
“I am not a member of the Education Committee, but I will contribute to the debate on the amendments in group 2 and, perhaps, ask a few questions that the Minister might be able to answer. <BR /> <BR />First, with regard to all the amendments in this group and the first group, I want to reflect on what a school uniform is. We know that it is different for every school. I am very lucky that my children's schools are very flexible about their uniforms, which are formal yet informal, so that children feel comfortable. There are many kids, however, some as young as four, who go to school looking as though they are about to be interviewed for their first job, which is a rather bizarre situation. Some kids have to tie their own ties when they cannot tie their own shoelaces. Such uniform policies are bizarre.”
“I thank the Minister for her answer, but there seems to be a redefinition of what constitutes active travel. It is rather disappointing that fixing street lights is included as showing a commitment to active travel when we know that in some constituencies — in my North Belfast constituency, in particular — we really lack new active travel infrastructure. What impact does the new definition or new way of thinking have on the overall spend on active travel in comparison with the previously used understanding of active travel?”
“I will not, Deputy Speaker. I will not make an apology, because you do need to look at the way that you do speak to many of the women in this Chamber who do stand up, and you need to consider the way that you talk there. So I will not make an apology. You can ask me again; my answer will not change.”
“I have learned from you. <BR /> <BR />Deputy Speaker, you need to take a look at your —.”
“Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I do not need to be patronised. I just want to highlight that I asked the Minister a rather straightforward question —.”
“Minister, we cannot talk about transforming education without talking about selection. It is not respectful to belittle the experience of teachers and children, who are made physically sick due to that pressure. They expect more from you, Minister. <BR /> <BR />My question is about the teacher CPD academy's being developed by InnerDrive, which I have read about. Will you outline the value of that contract and the procurement process that was followed in the awarding of the contract?”
“On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Is it appropriate for the Minister to make what amount to misogynistic comments in the Chamber? It is an absolute disgrace that he just distracts and attacks. It does not bother us — the people see through it — but it is an absolute disgrace for a Minister to act like that.”
“How many children do we still have on the waiting list to be statemented? That is just to get their statement. How many years must they then wait to get the services that they provide? <BR /> <BR />If the Minister has not already, I recommend that he visit Belfast Boys’ Model School in North Belfast, because they run a different model of operation from other schools that basically cares for the individual needs of each child. We have to be realistic about the fact that there are some schools that do not put up their hand and take in children where it is needed. Fundamentally, at the heart of this are young people and children, and we need to ensure that their needs are met.”
“I ask the Education Minister whether he has had any direct conversations with the Health Minister in progressing that joined-up workforce planning across both Departments, because it is particularly important. <BR /> <BR />I also want to touch on the issue of the individual child. I have heard about the special needs children getting classroom assistants when they are placed either in the mainstream schools or in SPiMS units or children who have attended a mainstream school from primary 1. I do not sit on the Education Committee, but, on the Health Committee and in constituency-based work, we hear time and again that one-to-one is not always the best way forward. It has to be individualised, and it has to be best for that child's needs. Unfortunately, parents wait far too long for those assessments.”
“<BR /> <BR />I have had the opportunity over many years from being on the council and in the Assembly to visit special schools across Belfast. Specifically, I mention Cedar Lodge in my constituency of North Belfast and Fleming Fulton. Those schools are absolutely fantastic. When you go there and meet the pupils, you cannot help but feel happy at how happy and supported the children and the community are. Many of the principals and the teachers will reflect on how different it is now compared with years ago and feel that some of the services continue to be stripped away, in particular the health services. We do not yet know how many speech and language therapists are needed, how many psychologists are needed or how many nurses are needed for particular schools, because that work has not taken place.”
“The fact that the Minister decided, I believe, in May to remove nursing tasks in our special needs schools was much to the confusion and not just the disappointment of many people, particularly those who look to the health sector, because delegated nursing tasks were removed as being authorised under direct payments. People who were not essentially qualified could not carry out the tasks, yet we were going to expect classroom assistants to do it because, let us face it, it was going to fall upon classroom assistants to pick up the slack, and that is just not acceptable. It is another consequence of a fall between the cracks of the reality of what it means to be a special educational needs school or to operate within a special educational needs system.”
“That is something that we should look at as an Assembly, so that, when we need to work together, we can have both Ministers, either at a Committee or in the Chamber, to ask questions of. There is not just a need for communication from the Education Authority to parents. If we are not having improved communications between Departments, how do we expect it to filter down to the ground and to the people that it affects? We need to see practical solutions that will work, and then we will see an improvement for children accessing those places, whether that is through transport, construction work at schools or additional staff. <BR /> <BR />One of the issues that I want to focus on is the need to improve the nursing tasks in schools.”
“It is unfortunate that we find ourselves in this situation again, alongside many parents and families across Northern Ireland whose children, whilst they have been allocated a place in a school, have not been allocated one that will meet their child's needs. <BR /> <BR />I want to focus my remarks on the cooperation or lack thereof between the Departments of Education and Health and on how we can get answers to the questions that have been asked. I saw the Minister of Health. He has now left the Chamber, but I thought that he had come in for the debate. It is really important that we should have more than one Minister present where issues and motions touch across Departments.”
“I thank the Minister for coming to the Chamber today. I want to reflect on the fact that we need to move away from the argument of whether something is gender-affirming and really take cognisance of the fact that trans people exist. Trans young people exist, and they should be included and welcomed in society. Today is not a great day for some young people, who might feel that the measure paves the way for bullying, in particular, in their schools. What plans does the Minister's Department have to ensure that any new service, following this review, will align with international best practice, including the World Health Organization's classification of gender incongruence, which brought gender care out of mental health and into sexual health?”
“I will not give way again; I am just finishing up. <BR /> <BR />On behalf of the Assembly Commission, I commend Members for the nomination of Mark McEwan for appointment as the new Assembly Commissioner for Standards, and I wish him all the best in his new role.”
“I thank the Member for his contribution. Just to be clear, no Member is ever above the law in the House. I know that the previous Assembly commissioner worked within the framework that she had and with regard to the proper processes, and I do not doubt that Mark McEwan will do the same. As a member of the Policing Board, I have personal experience of working with Mark in his previous role as Assistant Chief Constable. I know that he will work with professionalism and diligence. It is clear that he is well suited to ensuring that any allegations of breaches of the codes will be investigated.”
“The Commissioner for Standards works within the current legislative framework. That legislative framework has not been put before the House for it to change the roles and remit by the Assembly Commission. It would not be the responsibility of the Assembly Commission, so I want to put that on record. <BR /> <BR />It is important that the role gives the public confidence that any breach of the Assembly code of conduct or the ministerial code of conduct will be investigated and dealt with and that it gives Members confidence that any complaints will be considered through due and proper process.”
“As a corporate body, the Assembly Commission normally undertakes the recruitment of officers of the Assembly. However, the involvement of the Committee on Standards and Privileges is vital for this role, and I thank its Chairperson, Cathy Mason, who spoke at the beginning of the debate, for participating in the panel, and I welcome its support today. The Committee will want to build a strong and positive working relationship with Mark McEwan. <BR /> <BR />I want to point to an issue that was mentioned in one of the contributions: the role and remit of the commissioner.”
“Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I thank Members for their contributions. I was not on the recruitment panel, but, as a member of the Assembly Commission, I am assured that there was an effective, rigorous and fair recruitment competition. I repeat the Assembly Commission's thanks to all those who participated in the process. I also repeat the appreciation, personally and from the Assembly Commission's perspective, for the rigorous and thoughtful way in which Dr Melissa McCullough approached her tenure. Everyone can agree that she was both professional and personable. <BR /> <BR />The Commissioner for Standards is crucial to upholding standards in the Assembly, and it is, therefore, important that the Assembly supports someone with the credibility and experience to undertake those significant responsibilities.”
“I am grateful that she has now received an appointment, but it is outside the time frame. We need to ensure that no other patient has to wait more than nine weeks — more than six weeks — for a red-flag cancer referral. I hope that the Department and the Minister can come to the Chamber and address the issues without again passing the buck.”
“After writing to the SPPG, we were told to go to the Minister. I had already been to the Minister, however. I had asked his Department about how exactly we were tackling the regional waiting list, only to be referred to the trust. It is a game of pass the parcel. It is a buck to be passed between the Department and trusts. <BR /> <BR />Ultimately, at the end of the statistics are patients. My constituency office has been working with some of those patients. One in particular, instead of sitting in stress and anxiety, took it upon herself to contact all her elected reps. She is in such stress because she sees her symptoms every single day yet is having to wait.”
“I highlight the unacceptably long waiting times that patients who need for red-flag cancer referrals face, but, today, I will talk specifically about breast cancer. Most people will be aware of this, but, if they are not, the target for starting treatment for any diagnosis of breast cancer is within 31 days of a decision to treat. The longer that a patient waits for a decision to treat, the worse that it is for that patient. I am talking not just about the cancer diagnosis but about the social and mental impact on the patient. <BR /> <BR />Over the summer, we looked forward to hearing from the Department of Health and the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust (SEHSCT) about their tackling of the regional waiting list. After writing to the South Eastern Trust, we were told to go to the strategic planning and performance group (SPPG).”
“The Minister is giving the gift to councils, and then it will be in our gift and that of our party colleagues who sit on those councils to enforce it and use the powers. <BR /> <BR />I look forward to getting to the Final Stage of the Bill. I very much welcome it.”
“<BR /> <BR />We are in a housing crisis across Northern Ireland. How many houses in disrepair that landlords have let get into a sorry state could be used to house people? There are many. Hopefully, this power will allow councils to take enforcement action against landlords. I am sure that there will be many more discussions on the Bill in Committee, which I will not be part of, but one thing that, I hope, is dealt with is the effect on councils across Northern Ireland and how they will use the powers. I look forward to working with my colleague to ensure that. Remember that each of us has party colleagues who sit on the councils, so we can ensure that councils use the powers.”
“I do not know about other MLAs, but I am sure that they could relate to the number of times that my constituency office and I have contacted Belfast City Council or Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council to get an environmental health team out to the sites of derelict buildings and derelict houses to take action. They are wasting money doing that when it could be the landlords taking action. Councils could save money. Imagine if we devolved regeneration powers to councils along with the powers that the Bill will transfer to them: that really could regenerate areas and make them vibrant. I look forward to the statutory guidance. I am not a member of the Committee, but, working with my colleague, I will keep a close eye on it, because it could transform my local area and the local areas of everyone across Northern Ireland.”
“My kids were mostly disappointed by the fact that our local Chinese had closed down, but thankfully it has relocated, so they are happy now. On a more serious note, we are talking about businesses that were affected because other landlords did not take seriously their obligations to maintain their properties. I have taken the Minister to my constituency of North Belfast and shown him some of those sites. At the time, he agreed that it was a disgrace and that action should be taken. A Member mentioned the Tribeca site and North Street, another area that we need to work together on to ensure that the dereliction is tackled. <BR /> <BR />A number of Members have raised the issues of cost recovery and cost to local councils.”
“It put pictures of many of the houses in the area in brochures, which shamed landlords in the area into scrubbing up a lot of the houses by going in, taking on repairs and doing the work. Most of the houses that the community organisation highlighted are now in use. <BR /> <BR />I think about the Antrim Road from Glengormley right down to where it reaches Carlisle Circus and North Street in Belfast city centre. I think of one dangerous structure in particular. One of the buildings collapsed during the day, and emergency services had to be called to the scene. It had collapsed on to the road and into the street. Two businesses — one that was a pillar of the north Belfast community for decades — were shut for a number of months.”
“In my constituency of North Belfast, if you journey from outer Newtownabbey into Belfast city centre, taking any of the many different routes that you can, you see the dereliction get worse the further you go into the city. Take the Shore Road, for example. I look back to how long the old Grove site was left unused and the number of buildings that were left when businesses went bust. My constituency colleague has already mentioned the Crumlin Road Courthouse, but there are many more derelict properties along the Crumlin Road. There are issues on the Cliftonville Road as well. Thankfully, some organisations are taking it on themselves to do some of the work. I think about Cliftonville Community Regeneration Forum, which developed its own local manifesto on tackling derelict buildings.”
“I welcome the Bill at its Second Stage. I am grateful that my party colleague, Alliance Minister Muir, introduced it. <BR /> <BR />I remember that, back in 2012 or 2013, when I was an activist in the Alliance Party, my first piece of activism was to write a letter to the then Minister Durkan — I think that it must have been 2013 — asking him to take action on derelict buildings in north Belfast. It did not happen then, but it is happening now, and I am glad that we are moving forward on it, finally. It is frustrating that progress has taken so long. <BR /> <BR />I echo the comments about the issues in constituencies that cover two council boundaries.”