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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“The event had to be handled extremely sensitively to respect the victims and survivors, who live with the legacy of extremely traumatic experiences. It was important that they were treated with dignity. I am sure that the whole House will join me in thanking all the Assembly Commission and Executive Office officials who worked to deliver an event that was personally meaningful to all who attended it.”
“I thank the Member for his question. As you are aware, the Speaker hosted an event in the Great Hall on 20 February in conjunction with the First Minister and the deputy First Minister to unveil a memorial to victims of historical institutional abuse. The Assembly Commission was proud to play its part in working in partnership with the Executive Office over the past few years to see the memorial finally delivered. A number of Members who sit on the Executive Office Committee and other Members from across the House attended the unveiling. <BR /> <BR />Extremely positive feedback has been received since the event. I am pleased to report that a number of thank yous to staff have been received, including from people who travelled a long distance to see the unveiling, in recognition of how well looked after they were on the day.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement, which I welcome. According to NI Water, one of the worst-affected waste water infrastructure sites is in my North Belfast constituency. When that overflows, a mix of rainwater and untreated sewage often flows into Belfast lough. I therefore ask the Minister for an update on the investigation by the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) of discharge consents for Belfast lough.”
“Minister, I think that Alma would find your initial response deeply insulting. It is not that she lacks the ability to understand but that Alma and many parents like her live every day the experience of having a young person with very complex needs and there being a cliff edge at the age of 19 at which those young people lose access to services. What will you do before the end of the mandate to ensure that kids such as Caleb are not forgotten about and lost in the system because of inaction?”
“<BR /> <BR />There are already temporary 20 mph zones, typically for 30 minutes at a time, along short stretches of road outside a number of schools across North Belfast. However, with over 600 preschools, nurseries, day-care facilities, primary schools, post-primary schools and after-school facilities in my constituency alone, we know that such zones at just a few schools are not enough. We do not want to punish drivers — we know that life is busy and that many people need to use a car — but we want children and pedestrians of all abilities to be safe. Sign restrictions and enforcement alone will not deliver that; we need traffic-calming measures that reflect the nature of our roads.”
“What if it was already safe to travel, either by car or bike? Provision of 20 mph zones is not a panacea, but it can provide drastic improvements in road safety. Since the introduction of such zones in Wales, for example, casualties in former 30 mph zones are down 25%. That means a reduction in the demand for police and health service resources and, most importantly, 25% fewer devastated families. For context, every year for the past 10 years, an average of 75 children have been seriously injured or killed on our roads. Last year, the number was 105. Our emergency services have been under immense strain for many years; we can take action to take some of that strain off their plate.”
“I want my and other children to enjoy the freedoms that we all had when we were younger: for them to be able to go to school or play outside by themselves, free from the risk of road violence. In large parts of my North Belfast constituency, fewer than half of all households have a car, yet all are forced to endure pollution and congestion on their residential streets. Twice a day, our roads are jammed with traffic as people ferry their children around or go to and from work. Often, the journeys are not substantial distances — just down the road or round the corner — and could be done on foot or by bike. However, as we all know, most of us take the car because life is busy. Using the car is often easier when life is busy and gets in the way. <BR /> <BR />What if the infrastructure was already there?”
“I rise to support the 20's Plenty campaign to have a default 20 mph maximum speed limit on streets where people live, work, play and go to school. Across North Belfast, school councils have been engaging with their representatives and parents to get even more people behind the campaign. Just last week, we saw more support from active travel users from the Shore Road, Glengormley, Cavehill, Oldpark and across North Belfast. We want to ensure that many more people get on board and support the campaign. <BR /> <BR />Too many people are killed and seriously injured on our roads. We are supposed to feel safe in our homes and on the streets where we live, but, when we venture out without the supposed protection of the car, we are at the mercy of speeding, distracted or, at times, just incapable motorists.”
“Thank you, Minister. My constituents in North Belfast appreciated the stopping of Reval2026, but they said to me, "That does not mean that all our concerns and worries have been alleviated". You touched on the methodology and said that you are willing to look at any and all proposals. I want to explore that further: are you undertaking a review of our methodology for collecting business rates? Will we have our own, local review, rather than waiting for the outcome of the review in England and Scotland?”
“Minister, this morning I met members of Blue Lights, which assists officers who are going through the ill-health retirement scheme. Will the Minister acknowledge that, for any legislative changes, it will be Members who are advocating for restrictions on officers who currently seek ill-health retirement who will have to vote to change the legislation and restrict it for those who are in need?”
“A commissioned service will not be able to see everyone right away. We must acknowledge the reality that we will still have waiting lists, but we need to start somewhere and hopefully ensure that there is a proper commissioned ADHD service for adults — and one for children — that is fair across the board and deals with everyone as an individual.”
“That is crucial now but also to ensure the success of a commissioned service. We can all think of a child or adult whom we have seen struggling through education or work as a result of ADHD. Too often, there is a lack of understanding and a resulting lack of empathy with the challenges posed by ADHD. When I speak about the issues publicly on social media or to friends and, indeed, wider society, there will always be people who turn their nose up or beat down on people who have issues when it comes to mental health or neurodiversity and are struggling. One reason that waiting lists are so long is that we have not dealt with the issues effectively in the past. <BR /> <BR />I hope that the Minister will listen to the arguments today. We will do whatever we can to support any future service.”
“It is a case of investing in the immediate term to achieve savings through a more thriving population in the longer term. That is why it is crucial that the needs assessment report and its recommendations are made public. <BR /> <BR />The other significant aspect of the motion is that it:”
“We have been told by many GPs and parents that, if you are not diagnosed with ADHD in the Belfast Trust by the age of 11, you will not get diagnosed unless you go privately. Unfortunately, the waiting list for many children is now too long and that they will now be without, although that is not the case in all trusts. It is simply not good enough. <BR /> <BR />We are all aware of the financial situation in the Executive, and any commissioning of services would have an impact. We are not aware, however, how much it would be expected to cost to commission an ADHD service. There is an economic argument for an adult service because of the impact that ADHD has on employment and economic activity. That needs to be properly taken into consideration.”
“The unfortunate reality is that so many people in Northern Ireland are without a diagnosis, without access to a waiting list, without the money to go private or without access to the medication that they need to function on a daily basis. It affects adults and children. It affects children's ability to flourish in education, adults' ability to succeed in the workplace and many other issues such as mental health struggles, anxiety, depression and isolation. <BR /> <BR />Experts have told us that a commissioned ADHD service is the only way to ensure that people are treated and able to thrive safely and equitably. The issue of the postcode lottery is particularly important. The proposer of the motion spoke of that issue in the Belfast Trust.”
“That might be easier for us to understand, but it makes little to no difference to a patient who has just been diagnosed with ADHD or someone whose child has just received a diagnosis, when their private provider has said, "We are going to try x, y and z" but, when that person comes back, they need medication. We have been told by many GPs that no provider who is in the process of seeing a patient and understanding their needs will jump immediately to medication. That is unfortunate for our constituents and patients who have entered into an arrangement with parties knowing on both ends that, at the end of the day, they will not get what they need.”
“Those amber drugs are still undergoing review, because they can cause potentially harmful side effects. We have been told by GPs that they cannot prescribe an amber drug on their own without that review and that a consultant must be the person to make any adjustments to the dosage. GPs cannot enter into a shared care arrangement if they do not have agreement from the private contractor. We need to look into both sides of the arrangement. <BR /> <BR />As I said, my colleagues and I have engaged with GP representative bodies to understand the barriers to shared care arrangements. We did so just last Friday, ahead of the debate. It is important to acknowledge that, when it comes to amber drugs, there is greater difficulty in working closely with consultants and specialists than there is with other drugs that are not on that amber list.”
“One reason is the need for the prescription to be reviewed by the private provider, but what does that mean? It means that the individual has to pay again. There needs to be more regulation around that. <BR /> <BR />We have not included this aspect in the motion, but, as well as asking the Minister to look at the shared care arrangements with GPs, we ask him to engage with the independent and private sector, because providers enter into arrangements with patients who have been diagnosed with ADHD and need medication, and they do so knowing that the majority of GPs do not enter into shared care arrangements. <BR /> <BR />A shared care arrangement is an agreement between a specialist in the independent and private sector and a GP for the prescription of an amber drug, which I mentioned.”
“I am sure that all our offices have received queries about shared care, not only because of the lack of commissioned services for adults but because children and young people cannot be seen by services. However, we seem to have the scenario where many GP services and surgeries do not offer shared care arrangements but some do. It is different across Northern Ireland, and, indeed, in each GP federation area. It is difficult for a constituent to hear that their friend in a different part of a city or of Northern Ireland was able to get a shared care arrangement when they cannot get one. They may enter a private contract with a private provider who gives them a diagnosis and tells them to go to their GP. The majority of those private providers know why the GPs cannot issue amber drug prescriptions.”
“<BR /> <BR />Another aspect of our amendment calls on the Minister to work alongside:”
“My colleague Peter McReynolds has called for that many times in the Chamber. In February 2025, the Department commissioned a needs assessment on ADHD to look at the demand for a children's service and an adults' service, with the intention of publishing that report, including its recommendations on important considerations to do with staffing and implementation costs. Unfortunately, one year on from the commissioning of the report, it has not yet been seen. We know from correspondence to my colleague that the Minister outlined that it was to be completed in November and published in early 2026, following consideration by his officials and him. Therefore, we call on the Minister to follow through on that commitment, and, hopefully, the Minister can outline in his response when the report will be published.”
“I thank the Members who tabled the motion, as it allows us to discuss this important issue. My constituency office has had, as, I am sure, most Members' offices have had, queries, complaints and questions from constituents about waiting lists, about the fact that there is no waiting list and about shared care arrangements. They just want answers, either for themselves or their loved ones. Our amendment seeks to add a couple of aspects that, we feel, are important rather than to take anything away from the motion, so I hope that Members can support it. <BR /> <BR />The first aspect is our call on the Minister:”
“Many parents, not only those who participated in the 'Spotlight' programme but others, are in desperate need of and are crying out for respite provision. You have failed a lot of those parents. When will we see an increase in respite provision, so that families are not surrendering their children to long-term care by the state?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. He said that the spend was:”
“I thank the Minister for his statement and welcome the clarity in it. My son will not thank him, however, because he enjoys having wee jobs to do about the school instead of attending learning in religious classes. <BR /> <BR />It is important for our children to be critical thinkers and that they be allowed to ask questions. I therefore seek greater clarity from the Minister. How will he ensure that the new school syllabus will allow children to ask questions, that the teaching of Christianity in our schools will not be based on objective truth and that children's questions are answered in a respectful manner?”
“<BR /> <BR />Last week, those repeated promises were broken yet again. Redwood is open, but no short breaks can be provided at Lindsay House, and there is no foreseeable timeline for that. Families are at breaking point, and time is of the essence. Too many have been left to wait until they have no option but to put their child in residential care. That is something that no parent should have to do. When will the Minister, the Department and the trusts finally get a handle on the children's social care crisis and ensure that families can access the support that they need? No more broken promises.”
“However, Members will recall that it was brought to light in the 'I Am Not Okay' 'Spotlight' documentary, which aired in September 2024 and shone a significant light on the struggles that face families with a child with severe complex needs. That led to the Minister announcing investment in respite services, alongside a number of promises to families, including those at the centre of the documentary, that they would receive access to the support that they needed. However, despite repeated concerns having been raised since June 2024 to the then Minister Robin Swann about the delayed opening of the Redwood residential facility, it was officially opened only in January 2026. Families have been waiting since 2024 for the facilities to be made ready, all the time with the light at the end of the tunnel being access to respite in Lindsay House.”
“I speak today to highlight the continued failure by the Department of Health and the trusts across Northern Ireland to provide proper respite provision for families and children in need. Just last week, the Health Committee received confirmation that Lindsay House in the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust had not reopened for short breaks. That is despite repeated promises that the registration and opening of the Redwood residential facility would enable Lindsay House to resume respite services. Promises were made by the trust and departmental officials at Committee, by the Minister in the Chamber, in written correspondence and in many questions for written answer signed off by the Minister. <BR /> <BR />I speak on the issue today because it has been ongoing for many years.”
“I recall amendments at that time. Will the MLA clarify whether the amendments encompassed all clerical abuse or were targeted at one institution, namely the Catholic Church?”
“The proposer of the amendment is right: they are kept in an old attic or basement somewhere where they could get water-damaged and destroyed. The diocese tells us that it is moving to a computer-based system, but the original records should absolutely be kept. I am glad that other Members are speaking up now about what has taken place at Milltown. I am grateful that the deputy First Minister and Pam, when she was the junior Minister, met me to discuss the issues. I want to hear how much forward movement there has been on the issue, because maintaining records is important. <BR /> <BR />At the heart of the issue, I think of the victims of clerical abuse. Regardless of whether the abuse happened 10, 20 or 40 years ago or just last year, every victim is entitled to the truth and an acknowledgement of what they have suffered.”
“To do so often retraumatises people, but we must give them the opportunity to share their stories. To continue to sit on the ongoing work in the Department and with people in the sector is shameful. I agree with the comments made by the SDLP's Sinéad McLaughlin. We have, unfortunately, reached a point at which we cannot continue down this road. We are entering an election period and a new mandate, and we will lose time again. We have to deliver for people now. <BR /> <BR />I turn now to a few points around records that were made by the proposer of the amendment. Will the junior Ministers clarify whether contact was made with the diocese of Down and Connor and correspondence received from it about the records that have been kept at Milltown?”
“I pay tribute to the work of Fiona Ryan. Fiona is doing an excellent job in her role as commissioner. Every time that we meet her, she demonstrates a broad depth of knowledge, particularly around clerical abuse. I hope that we can tap into that and her experience from her role in the Republic of Ireland in any work going forward. <BR /> <BR />I understand that all Ministers have a heavy workload, but sending an update only last night on a meeting that was requested a few months ago will not be acceptable to victims. Let us be honest about that: it will not be acceptable, and we should not excuse it. All the while that we are waiting, victims and survivors are being left behind. <BR /> <BR />I understand that it was a massive task for victims and survivors to come forward to share their stories.”
“Time has moved on, however: we are 14 or 15 years down the line. Whilst progress has been made in other areas, we still want to see the Executive Office bring forward the redress scheme for mother-and-baby homes and possibly for those who suffered abuse in other places, be that a Magdalene laundry or a workhouse.”
“We were happy to support it in that form back then, because it absolutely needed to happen.”
“The issue is not unique to Northern Ireland or, indeed, to the Republic of Ireland; it is a worldwide issue, and we all have responsibility for it. It is the responsibility of not just the First Minister and the deputy First Minister, the Executive Office and MLAs but of all the Churches and faith-based organisations. <BR /> <BR />I was not an MLA when the Inquiry into Historical Institutional Abuse Bill worked its way through the Chamber, but it was one of the first pieces of legislation that I worked on in another role with the Alliance Party. I understand the reasons why clerical abuse, mother-and-baby homes and those in the foster system were not included in the legislation at the time. I know that their inclusion would have made its scope too wide. I appreciated the concerns at the time.”
“I thank my party colleagues for tabling the motion, and the Committee for the Executive Office for all its work on clerical child abuse. I will start by highlighting a few points that we have all acknowledged. First, clerical child abuse did not happen just to children under the care of the state in institutions. It happened to families and young people who participated in church-based masses, Sunday services, Sunday schools, youth groups and outings. We have to understand that it did not happen just in institutions. <BR /> <BR />Secondly, it is not just a historical issue. The recent news about the Presbyterian Church, recent convictions of priests and further allegations made in the past few months underline the fact that the issue is ongoing.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. We have talked many times about how patients in Northern Ireland cannot access chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy. Dublin has said that it is unable to offer more patients from Northern Ireland that treatment, but did the Minister have any further discussions about it or any other life-saving cancer care and treatment cooperation between North and South at the NSMC meeting?”
“— and dereliction be a contributory factor in the assessments?”
“Minister, the Sailortown area of North Belfast has often been neglected when it comes to investment from government bodies. I think of the lack of decision about the York Street interchange and the lack of connectivity between Sailortown, the rest of North Belfast, the city centre and Ulster University. Yet, there are businesses, including hospitality organisations and pubs, that have been there for years. The American Bar and others have put a stake in the area to really try to regenerate it. Seatons of Sailortown has seen its value increase by 282% in the current assessment. Should issues such as the lack of investment, the decisions around the York Street interchange —”
“Everyone should have somewhere to call home. If that is with their family, whether or not that means their parents, the family should be supported to provide that. <BR /> <BR />I look forward to hearing the outcome of the consultation on the learning disability framework — I know that it has just closed and that that will take time; it is important that we get these things right — and about the changes to payments for people who live in residential care. I also look forward to an update on delegated nursing tasks and on the transitional arrangements for anyone aged 16-to-19-plus. <BR /> <BR />I know that the task is massive, but it should be undertaken collectively across the trusts and parties.”
“A lot of the families who need respite provision and use direct payments to get in care workers so that they can have a bit of breathing space have turned and will turn to long-term residential care. We need to ensure that that provides the best places for people, so that they can live in the way that they want, carry out their activities and be happy and safe. Unfortunately, we are seeing the institutionalisation of young people. The Muckamore scandal taught us that such things should never happen again, and it shone a light on why we need transparency in how we care for people with complex needs, yet we still fail so many people. I am not talking about failure in the sense of what happened there but about the institutionalisation of our young people: that should not happen in this day and age.”
“It just seems as though, from the moment that their children were born, the families have had to fight for everything. I cannot emphasise enough how overwhelming that is, and we, as elected representatives, should make sure that they do not do it alone. <BR /> <BR />I agree that the Autism Act should have provided a base and a platform on which we could have better services, but that aim has yet to be fulfilled. The Children's Services Cooperation Act 2015 says that you must do something, but it is not done. Where do we go from there, when there are no consequences for not doing things that the law says should be implemented and delivered? <BR /> <BR />We talk a lot, in the Chamber and in the Committee, about respite.”
“Whether you are from the Northern Trust, the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust or the Southern Health and Social Care Trust area should not matter: you should be able to access the same services. <BR /> <BR />The issue of direct payments comes up in the constituency office of every MLA. What are they for? I know that they are there to provide options, but they do not seem like an option. For a lot of parents and families, it seems as though the trust is saying, "We can't do anything for you, so go and find it yourself". It is really sad that a lot of those parents have had to fight for everything from the moment that their child was born, whether it is about being placed in the correct school, being assessed by social workers or receiving the rights and benefits to which they are entitled.”
“The issues of most young people with complex and severe needs are not new and did not suddenly arise. It was known from birth or the preschool years that they would have additional needs and that safeguards and provisions would have to be put in place, so why, with young people such as your constituent, Emma, do we come to a situation in which, 17 years later, we run out of road, we run out of options and it seems as though there is no hope? The severe lack of forward planning is so disappointing. <BR /> <BR />There are people in the trusts and the Department who work hard and want to see change, but we need to see collaborative work across the trusts.”
“Some young people had the ability to communicate themselves, and others relied on the help and support of their parents. They all had the same thing in common: they were a person whose desires and wishes for their life should be warranted and valued as much as yours and mine. We should provide services that allow them to achieve what they want to so that they can make the best of their lives. It was a grounding moment for us, as MLAs, to hear from people whose lives are affected every day, especially families who care for loved ones with complex needs. <BR /> <BR />I know that young adults between the ages of 16 and 25 are a focus of the learning disability service framework and the transitional arrangements for that, but I will raise a question that I ask a lot.”
“I thank the MLA for securing today's Adjournment debate. I do not represent Mid Ulster, but the issue affects all our constituencies, and, as a member of the Health Committee, I wanted to take the opportunity to join the debate. The issue has come up often at the Health Committee and on the Floor. At the Health Committee, we have explored a number of the issues that the two Members who spoke previously outlined, but we have not been able to get change on quite a few of the issues. <BR /> <BR />First, I recognise that, a number of months ago, an event took place in the Long Gallery, and there have been a few more since then. We heard directly from young people with complex needs on what their life will look like once they leave school, for example. It was a really good opportunity to hear from them or from their family members.”
“We know that the trusts are responsible for the operation and delivery of the services, but, as Minister in the Department, it is your role and up to your leadership to make the change for good and to deliver a health service for everyone, no matter the time of year.”
“It has been fantastic in taking the weight off EDs and inpatient stays. If that can be increased, that will be absolutely fantastic, but we must increase domiciliary care. It is disappointing that the Minister did not highlight or respond to the comments made by the Chair of the Committee regarding the many independent domiciliary care providers who have said that they are willing to step in and help. We have had absolutely no response to that. <BR /> <BR />I want to focus on the fact that the Minister said that there was a lack of understanding, but there is no lack of understanding from any Member who sits on the Health Committee. I can tell you that for sure.”
“However, when it comes to true transformation of the health service, there is no lack of willingness from the Alliance Party to engage, but the UUP is the party that stands outside with others opposing transformation and even the slightest changes when it comes to our health service. Therefore, I will not take any lectures on that issue. We will stand here every single day to raise the issues of winter preparedness and waiting lists, whether for breast cancer or gynaecological cancers, because we need to. If we take our eye off the ball, the ball, as history has shown, will try to hide. We need the change to happen permanently. <BR /> <BR />Before I finish, I will move on quickly to some points that the Minister made today. One of the great successes of the past few years has been ambulatory care.”
“I also want to speak about a few comments that were made by the UUP Member. It is the same speech. It is almost a single transferable speech that we hear, no matter what health motion comes before us in the Chamber. Yes, the Chamber and the Health Committee are for scrutiny, and it is important to highlight and scrutinise where possible, and we will recognise where there have been improvements. However, the UUP has to recognise that it has held the portfolio for eight years. For two of those years, the Assembly was collapsed, so we can excuse it for that part.”