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.”
The complete record
Every one of 1,216 lines we hold for Nuala McAllister, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 7 of 25.
“I also heard many Members across the Chamber speak about three-, four- and five-day waits. We talk about it like it is the norm, but none of us accepts it. We need it to change, and we need the change to be permanent.”
“The NHS should be free at the point of access for all from the cradle to the grave, but we must be realistic if we are to target waiting lists now. We cannot, in good conscience, withdraw from the independent sector; it would not be right for our constituents. Colin and Philip spoke about privacy and dignity, and it is important to reflect on that when our constituents wait in A&Es, particularly in Altnagelvin, where they share one toilet and there is no private space for families.”
“I absolutely agree. The statistics are important for us to learn from what went well and how it can be replicated. I will touch on that further. <BR /> <BR />I will talk about some of the other contributions. It was important that the timeline of events in the proposal was highlighted on the Floor. We are urging the Minister to act earlier, not just because of the "What" and "When", but, as Diane Dodds said, it is about what is actually contained in the proposal. I agree with the Member that the addition of what the winter preparedness plan contains would strengthen the motion. Who it is developed with? It must be the people on the front line. <BR /> <BR />We entirely agree with the sentiment of the amendment tabled by People Before Profit, because we should not have privatised healthcare.”
“We also heard that, at one point, there were 650 patients ready for discharge. The Minister commented on the public discharge campaign: I agree that there has to be a campaign about public discharge, but the likes of Carers NI have also highlighted that we cannot put the blame on families and put the emphasis on them to take their loved ones out of hospital. If the families cannot cope and do not have the skills to look after their loved ones, we cannot inflict further pain on them.”
“I will mention some of the stats that Members mentioned. Many Members talked about nine ambulances waiting outside EDs, others mentioned 10 ambulances waiting and four-day waits for ward beds. We had others highlight five-day waits in their local emergency department. Linda Dillon highlighted the case of a constituent who waited for seven hours in the street for an ambulance. We also heard that the Royal College of Emergency Medicine's (RCEM) report states that 1,400 deaths are associated with long waits. <BR /> <BR />The threshold for long waits that impact on mortality is 12 hours. When you have a 12-hour wait, there is, I believe, a 20% greater chance of mortality. The figures may vary a little on either side, but any increase in the mortality rate because of a long wait is wrong.”
“That is important, not just because my children ended up in A&E but because many of my constituents bring up the issue of children's healthcare, which is perhaps not talked about enough in the Assembly Chamber. The flu vaccine was a good initiative from the Department and the trusts, and I hope that we will see it expanded this year. <BR /> <BR />The most common examples of A&E waiting times from the Public Health Agency (PHA) show waits of almost 13 hours in Altnagelvin Area Hospital, as a number of other Members have highlighted, and 7·5 hours in Antrim Area Hospital on 10 December. Unfortunately, the consequences of the waits are infamous, and many in the Chamber have mentioned corridor care and queues of ambulances outside EDs that are unable to admit patients, leaving the ambulances unable to respond to emergency calls.”
“The surge of such a serious strain at a much earlier stage is proof that winter preparedness is crucial at an earlier time and that the health service should be able to cope with increasing pressures. I note that the flu vaccine uptake has increased, but it is simply not good enough. I agree with the Minister that everyone can play their part by getting vaccinated, and I encourage that. <BR /> <BR />It is also important to highlight the flu vaccine roll-out in our schools. As of December, there were still schools across Northern Ireland where children had not received their flu vaccine. For the first time, the winter preparedness plan had a focus on paediatric healthcare.”
“We need to be sure that our healthcare workers and staff can be confident in the health service leadership and know that it is delivering for them and their patients. <BR /> <BR />I will speak about some of the issues that many in the Chamber have highlighted today. I will start with the serious flu surge. The Minister was absolutely right to highlight the fact that the surge arrived earlier than usual this winter, with cases peaking at 1,227 during the week ending 7 December. Hospital admissions were at 346 the following week, and the surge resulted in school attendance being severely impacted on, owing to the prevalence of flu among children. There was a positivity rate of 54·2% among those aged five to 14 during the last week of November. A consultant from the Children's Hospital went on record to state:”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank Members and the Minister for taking time to contribute to the debate. <BR /> <BR />I hope that lessons can be learned from all the drama and concern about winter preparedness last October. I say that because there were many concerns. My colleague Danny, in proposing the motion, outlined the time frame — it was critical that he did that — and talked about where we got to last October and why. The Minister published an overarching plan on the day of a Health Committee session, with Committee members having been told two days prior that no materials or documents would be provided. That caused unnecessary chaos among the public and in private. I highlight that because of confidence issues.”
“I am glad that the Member has raised that issue. The situation is shocking. Everyone has a right to strike, but, in our engagements, I was given assurances that, if they were told of a category 2 call, staff would react. I am therefore very disappointed.”
“You said that you spoke to an ED consultant last night, and you mentioned healthcare workers there. Going by that latest discussion, do you agree that all these issues are affecting morale?”
“<BR /> <BR />My colleagues who sit on the Communities Committee have outlined the steps that Alliance would take, whether that is ensuring that there is a freeze on the house sales scheme, ensuring that proper tenancies are imposed in order to reflect legitimate and defined increases in costs for landlords or introducing a scoping exercise for a possible new housing ombudsman. Supporting any initiative to address the lack of affordable housing and social housing and the increase in rental fees is important in everyone's constituency. <BR /> <BR />I thank the proposer of the motion. As my colleagues outlined, we will not support the DUP amendment, but we look forward to hearing from the Minister about the actions that he will take to address the housing crisis.”
“I also want to touch on Airbnbs and holiday rentals. Those issues are creeping up not just along the north coast. I understand that the crisis there is far worse than in my constituency, but the issues are still relevant to the residents who are affected. In North Belfast, we have had many complaints about absentee landlords who own and rent Airbnbs. The landlords allow ridiculous behaviours from tenants, who are torturing local residents. The rentals continue even without licensing from Belfast City Council.”
“In my constituency, those rents can be over £900 per calendar month. That is simply not affordable. Those £900-plus per calendar month rents are having to be paid by people who are unable to get on the property ladder. They cannot get approved for mortgages but can get approved to pay rents of £900 a month for a home.”
“People are on waiting lists for a social home, and many single parents — mostly, in my experience, mothers, who have one, two or three children — and they are waiting for a social home, yet they have to turn to privately rented properties.”
“<BR /> <BR />For as long as people cannot get on the property ladder, people will need to rent. There enters the lack of regulation and the issues that we see when it comes to some — I must stress the word "some" — landlords. That includes the ability to increase rents at short notice or as much as possible and the lack of repairs; the list goes on, whether it is a private landlord or the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. Where there are loopholes and opportunities in a system, there will be those few who will abuse it and destroy it for as many as possible. <BR /> <BR />As well as first-time buyers, people who should be availing themselves of social homes are turning to rental properties. We all know the story. We hear it every day in our constituency offices.”
“I thank the Members for tabling the motion. It is not often that I get the opportunity to speak on issues outside my portfolio, given the volume of motions and debates that come up on health. However, given the importance of the issue and its impact on my constituency of North Belfast, I want to touch on some aspects of it. <BR /> <BR />I join all MLAs in the Chamber who expressed their frustration around the lack of affordable housing, whether it relates to getting on the property ladder as a first-time buyer, renting or accessing social housing. In my constituency of North Belfast, we have a growing demand for housing. A few short years ago, houses in some areas sold for under £200,000, but you would be hard-pressed to find anything even close to that now. Rent is a necessity, not a luxury, and it should be treated as such.”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. I wonder whether we might learn lessons for the future from what happened over that weekend. I have submitted a number of questions for written answer and written a number of letters to the Minister about the Clifton Gateway scheme, which is about more than what the area looks like. It is about more than just the York Street interchange. Rather, it is about the whole area. While we are waiting for progress to be made on the interchange and on the Glider scheme, is there any way in which the Minister's Department can, in the near future, focus on the Clifton Gateway scheme and work with the Department for Communities to improve the area so that it is safe and so that we do not have any more accidents or deaths, as we had recently?”
“To ensure transparency around decisions and to ensure that funding allocations are made in line with what victims need, how are the decisions on amounts made?”
“At a Committee session last month, the interim financial director admitted that that had not been done before and that getting all the trusts together to deliver efficiencies was a new idea. Why did it take until 2025 to truly look at transforming the health service by running efficiencies and savings across all trusts?”
“In responding to my colleague's question on the cost of division, you commented that some people are selective when it comes to tackling such costs. The Alliance Party has always been consistent when it comes to dealing with that issue. In a Budget where every penny counts, we are talking about hundreds of millions of pounds. I ask the Minister what steps he has taken during his tenure to assess or deal with the cost of division and duplication and work with any other Department.”
“We will lose a core value there, and if we do not have the training places for specialists to come up, we are just kicking the can down the road. Every MLA has highlighted that, and there is much of what has been spoken about today that we agree on. However, first and foremost, we need to see the three-year budget. If we do not get that, even now, we can still implement changes within our health service that will do things better. There needs to be a political assessment and acceptance that that means that some things will have to change for the better so that we can improve patient outcomes.”
“Therefore, I highlight to the Minister the fact that, whilst there is some acknowledgement that you cannot implement the recommendations in the review, the Department is already spending money on neurology services. However, they are not working for everyone, so the money is going to be spent anyway. Therefore, how about spending it differently? That goes not only for neurology but for loads of services. <BR /> <BR />I agree with some of the comments that have been made regarding minimum standards. The proposer of the motion highlighted that, and every MLA has highlighted workforce training. We need to look not just at workforce training but at succession planning, training places and the issues associated with retirement of those who are further up the bands, such as specialist nurses, consultants and allied health professionals.”
“I am thankful that the Minister has responded, but he did so with what the review set out as its recommendations. As a Committee, we have discussed those recommendations, and, as MLAs, we have already read them, so we are very well aware of what they are. I understand that each Department is under budgetary pressure, and every MLA in the Chamber has recognised that. As my colleague said when moving the amendment, we have had a commitment from the Department of Health to do things differently, but, just last week at the Health Committee, we had recognition that there really has not been any efficiency in the Department of Health. When I asked the Department's finance team directly about that, there was a recognition that there have been savings just through what has not been spent, not from doing things differently.”
“In comparison, a waiting time for an outpatient appointment in 2023 was one year and 26 weeks, with the longest wait being six years and 32 weeks, so there really has not been much change in either two years or since the review. <BR /> <BR />The motion calls on the Minister to:”
“<BR /> <BR />Quite often in the Chamber, we speak about unacceptable waiting times in health, and, unfortunately, as many Members said during the debate, neurology services are another example of those. I have used the official statistics from the Department of Health on the number of people who are on waiting lists. The Department stated that, as of June 2025, over 16,500 people were waiting for a neurology outpatient appointment. However, I know that there is some dispute about the waiting times and the number of patients, so we have stuck with the official statistics. The median amount of time that those patients were waiting was one year and 20 weeks, and, as mentioned, some of the longest waits were sitting at over six years and 34 weeks.”
“As MLAs have referenced in their speeches, we received a significant amount of correspondence calling for support for neurological conditions not only ahead of the FightForNeuro launch event but in our engagements since we returned to the Assembly after the election. Specifically on the FightForNeuro launch, we have received correspondence about the wide-ranging impact of those conditions across our constituencies. The complexity and depth of neurological conditions in Northern Ireland is often misunderstood by the public and, sometimes, by MLAs, so it is very important that all in the sector work together and that there is specialist care.”
“Thank you, Principal Deputy Speaker. I thank the Members who tabled the motion, and I thank them for acknowledging that they will support the Alliance Party amendment. It was not our intention to take away from the motion but to add support to and recognise the sector's work. <BR /> <BR />I will start by highlighting the complexity of neurological conditions and, therefore, the complexity of neurological care and the training that is required of healthcare professionals in neurology. There can be no doubt that we all agree with that. I also put on record my thanks to the Northern Ireland Neurological Charities Alliance for the work that it has done as a collective to ensure that neurology services remain a key priority for the Department of Health and for us as Health Committee members.”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. Yes, if we could have more details about whether it will happen in the next financial year, that would be helpful. I might invite the Minister to come to the site along with Ashgrove Primary School's council, so that she can see how busy the road is. There are four lanes — it looks almost like a dual carriageway — with speeds of 50 mph. She would see what it is like for children to cross the road in that area. I understand the point about budgets, but it is a serious safety concern.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. I welcome the prioritisation of staff, and particularly the fact that PSNI staff will get their pay rise. That is most definitely welcome. <BR /> <BR />Will the Executive continue to prioritise the police recovery plan in the multi-year Budget so that we can see our officer numbers increase?”
“At the minute, however, we are not seeing that budget being spent on active travel; instead, we see it being repurposed for other areas. I call on the Infrastructure Minister — I will ask her about this later during questions for oral answer — to prioritise the safety of local schoolchildren to ensure that they can get to and from their school, walking or cycling, by using a pedestrian crossing. People's voices have been heard and listened to, but we need to finalise that and take action and ensure that we install a safe pedestrian crossing.”
“The safety of our children going to and from school and of all those walking on that road and getting about their day is important to us all. <BR /> <BR />I say again that all politics is local, because we can have successes sometimes, but they are often too slow in coming. Following that public petition, we had another visit from the Department for Infrastructure, which carried out a full survey of the site, and works on the roundabout have now been approved. However, that has also come with the caveat that the works will be budget-dependent. I understand that all Departments are under pressure with their resources. <BR /> <BR />When we passed the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, a successful Alliance amendment secured the provision saying that 10% of the transport budget should be spent on active travel.”
“Before I begin my statement, I will also put on record my party's best wishes to William Irwin, who is retiring in a few weeks. I spoke to him briefly yesterday, and it is clear that he is looking forward to retirement. I wish him all the best. He really is a kind soul, so I hope that he can enjoy his retirement. <BR /> <BR />Mr Speaker, all politics is local. In May this year, I presented to you a public petition signed by hundreds of people in the North Belfast community asking for a pedestrian crossing. That might not seem important to everyone, but, for the people who have to cross the road at the roundabout on Prince Charles Way every day, most of whom are schoolchildren going to and from school, it is very important.”
“— we can address the reasons that divide them?”
“Minister, do you agree that taking a fresh look at the good relations strategy in North Belfast should also include considering the reasons that keep communities apart? Some fantastic work goes on in my constituency of North Belfast, but, 25 years on from the Good Friday Agreement, we still have peace walls, with one in particular that runs through the park. Should peace walls also be part of that initiative, working alongside the Department of Justice and the council to bring communities together so that —”
“I thank the Minister for taking an intervention. Will the scoping exercise replicate or duplicate the work that the Committee has already undertaken? I understand that there are methods that each Department has to adhere to, but there are clear recommendations in the inquiry report. Can the Department of Health use those recommendations instead of starting from scratch?”
“He told me that it was about being looked after by people with specialist practice who cared about his every need — not just his clinical needs but his personal needs. For families with children in the Northern Ireland Children's Hospice, it is about having access to the outdoors, respite, space to grieve and space to love and look after siblings in an environment that reminds them of home. <BR /> <BR />I finish by thanking all those organisations that came to the Committee to provide evidence to the inquiry, and, most importantly, each and every one of the family members who provided evidence and allowed us into their homes or organisations to hear what the service means to them.”
“Often, where palliative care is provided, time is of the essence. I urge the Department to look at the individual components of that recommendation and ensure that it speeds up any actions that it can take. <BR /> <BR />Before I finish, I will focus on a number of the visits that we undertook as a Committee and as individual MLAs. As an MLA for North Belfast, I made sure to visit the Northern Ireland Children's Hospice. I also visited the Marie Curie Hospice. For me, one of the most important aspects of both visits was talking to the specialist healthcare providers and, most importantly, the patients and their families. During the Marie Curie visit, I talked to one gentleman, who, unfortunately, has now passed, about what being an inpatient in that unit meant to him.”
“<BR /> <BR />During the inquiry, the Committee heard of the challenges that palliative care providers face with access to prescription medications, which recommendation 5 seeks to address. Multiple suggestions are made in that area, but I will point to some of the less cost-intensive aspects that would have a significant impact on service delivery. Those include a pathway to ensure that there is out-of-hours access to palliative care medicines. That could be done in tandem with establishing the central point of access that I mentioned. Recommendation 5 also includes pharmaceutical wholesalers keeping sufficient stocks of certain palliative medicines and the inclusion of palliative and end-of-life care in core training for undergraduate, foundation year and postgraduate pharmacists.”
“<BR /> <BR />I will shed some light on recommendation 9, which highlights the need to have a 24/7 central point of contact for palliative and end-of-life care. Families and individuals who need such care are at a time of great distress, and their priority is ensuring that family members are supported. It is essential, therefore, that we do anything that we can to make the process easier. A 24/7 central point of contact that consists of telephone or online services, or perhaps both, and provides crucial advice on referral pathways, emergency out-of-hours care and pre- and post-bereavement services could be crucial for every individual and family during that time. It would, of course, require resources, but progressing that recommendation would make a meaningful difference.”
“The Health Committee heard evidence throughout its inquiry from a significant number of palliative care providers and health bodies about the services that they provide and, crucially, what they believe the Department of Health and trusts need to put in place to ensure not only that services can continue but that they can be improved. <BR /> <BR />I appreciate, as so many others in the Chamber do, that many of the recommendations in the report are resource-heavy and focus strongly on the need for increased funding. We are acutely aware of the challenges that the Minister faces with progressing the issue. However, I emphasise that much of the inquiry report can be progressed that will have a significant impact on the ability of trusts and charities to provide palliative and end-of-life care.”
“One of the few certainties in life is death. Unfortunately, everyone in the Chamber has likely experienced the loss of a loved one through the years. We will all be touched by that at some point in our life. That is why it is so important that we ensure that proper services are available to provide support through those tough and dark days. We in the Chamber greatly believe in an NHS that is free at the point of entry, from the cradle to the grave. <BR /> <BR />It is important to highlight the significance and importance of palliative care. It means not only end-of-life care but care that is delivered by specialist healthcare workers to adults and, often, young children to ensure that their quality of life is enhanced.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Training is available; the onus is on the individual MLA to ensure that they and their staff undertake it. I encourage anyone who has not yet done the training or met the team to do so urgently and as quickly as possible. We will take back to the Assembly Commission the message that we need to remind and encourage MLAs to participate. That can be done on a party-wide basis, but it is perhaps more beneficial to do it on an individual basis.”
“I thank the Member for her question, some of which, I hope, I can answer. The Assembly Commission undertakes regular phishing awareness campaigns to support Members and their staff in identifying potential threats; you will see those in emails and circulars. The Commission also offers follow-up training and support. In addition, a personal cyber advisory scheme is being offered to support Members, their staff and Assembly Commission staff to stay safe. Perhaps it is not well known that that is available to Members' staff. We, as the Commission, can take that message away to ensure that, if possible, that is extended, given that so much of the training takes place in Parliament Buildings rather than in constituency offices. It is an important point that we could look to extend the training to constituency-based staff in particular.”
“That role has a specific focus on ensuring that Members, their staff and Assembly Commission staff receive regular cyber-related training and that systems and applications are secure by design. Since March 2023, the Assembly Commission has invested in hardware and software to support the removal of outdated and vulnerable services, to improve the cybersecurity position and to ensure the reliability of digital systems used by Members with specific reference to cybersecurity. Further investment is planned, with the procurement of a security operations centre service, as recommended across the public sector. It will provide continuous monitoring, detection and response to cybersecurity threats.”
“In that context, just as the Assembly Commission would not discuss the details of physical security arrangements at the Assembly on the Floor of the House, it would not be wise to discuss the details of the Assembly Commission’s efforts relating to cybersecurity. <BR /> <BR />I am happy to inform the House that an independent cybersecurity assurance review was carried out in June 2023 to ascertain the Assembly Commission’s cybersecurity position. That review was aligned to the good practice guidelines established by the National Cyber Security Centre’s '10 Steps to Cyber Security’ and the requirements of information security good practice guidance. <BR /> <BR />The Assembly Commission has recruited an interim information technology security officer to support the head of IT in further enhancing cybersecurity.”
“With your permission, Mr Deputy Speaker, I will group questions 8 and 15. I may require an additional minute for my answer, as there is quite a lot of detail. <BR /> <BR />The Assembly Commission recognises the importance of ensuring that robust measures are taken to support and strengthen the Assembly’s cybersecurity and digital resilience. Across the world, cybersecurity risk has grown exponentially over the past number of years, and every high-profile organisation’s systems are under attack every day. The Assembly Commission is mindful that a range of states and rogue actors have an interest in obtaining information about organisations’ cybersecurity arrangements.”
“Unfortunately, I cannot provide that information to you today, but I can take it back to the Assembly Commission. I am not sure how long it might take to gather that information. If there are zero complaints, it will be quite quick, but I am sure that we can get back to you on it. The Member will understand that I am here today to reflect the overall Assembly Commission's position, so it is important that we do not engage in political content when we are answering questions. However, I hope that I can get the answer to your last question to you as quickly as possible.”
“It is very important to preserve any native language, no matter the jurisdiction. The Member will be aware that other jurisdictions across these islands — in particular, the Welsh Parliament — also offer simultaneous interpretation services. The protection of minority languages is particularly important, but so, also, is the welcoming of that language. It is important to ensure that the protection of a minority language is not about a minority language belonging to one single community. However, I agree that it is an important issue and one that should be debated in the House with care, being reflective of all jurisdictions across these islands.”
“I thank the Member for his question. The Assembly Commission is examining AI in its entirety. We have not yet discussed that particular issue, but it is something that I am more than happy to take back to the Assembly Commission, and, if the Member is content, provide him with a written answer.”