Sian Mulholland
North Antrim · Alliance Party · Northern Ireland
“Members from different parties recognised that our justice system must continue to evolve and continue to have children, young people and victims at its heart. What, we know, works to reduce offending and create safer communities has that support. <BR /> <BR />Not every contribution reflected that approach.”
“I will use my final Member's statement before recess to reflect on the work of the Ten is Too Young Coalition and all those who have worked so passionately to increase the minimum age of criminal responsibility (MACR), including Voice of Young People in Care, the Children's Law Centre, NIACRO, the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Childre…”
“We so often hear calls in the Chamber for legislation that is evidence-led, data-driven and compliant with our human rights obligations. Those are principles that I wholeheartedly support, but they cannot be principles that are applied only when they are convenient. Children's rights are human rights too.”
“<BR /> <BR />The triggering of the petition of concern mechanism was a misuse of a mechanism that was designed to protect minority rights. Here it is, blocking change designed to protect those who are most vulnerable.”
“Safeguarding falls within your remit, Minister. We know that, but we also know that it is the responsibility of each and every one of us. That is part of the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995. Faith-based counselling is not subject to the same regulation as other clinical counselling services.”
“Thank you, Minister. I am glad to hear you say that the role played by social workers is "complex and challenging". From what I hear from those who have contacted me, social workers are stretched to capacity. What is the Department doing to address that?”
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“Overall, I want to see a way forward together, with the lough, its businesses, communities and ecology at the heart, the ultimate goal being a return to the healthy lough that generations of my family knew and fished.”
“That would allow for the penalties and fines for polluting our environment to be addressed and used as an effective deterrent. I want to see the reversal of the cap on repeat offenders as part of a broader review of the fines and penalties for polluters. <BR /> <BR />Given that a myriad of public bodies hold some level of responsibility for the lough and its shores, it is imperative, now more than ever, to compel those stakeholders to work together to develop an integrated management plan. To date, there has been little evidence of a joined-up approach. I can only observe that as having a negative impact on the way forward to a solution for the health of the lough as a vital asset.”
“However, the issue did not occur overnight or as a result of one element in the ecosystem surrounding Lough Neagh. Therefore, a solution will not be reached overnight or with the burden placed on one Department or agency. We must have a properly resourced cross-departmental approach that factors in stakeholders and communities from across the board, hence my party's slight amendment to the motion. <BR /> <BR />I want to see a review of the governance of our environmental performance. Comprehensive independent oversight is long overdue. I repeat my party colleague's call for an independent environmental protection agency. Given that NIEA is part of the Department, its powers are, in some ways, limited. I want to see and push for the establishment of an agency with the authority and autonomy to oversee and enforce our environmental laws.”
“That is why, alongside colleagues such as John Blair, I worked on Alliance's five-point plan for the management of the Lough Neagh emergency. I know only too well the economic importance of Lough Neagh. Whether it is the wholesale and international supply of fish, the leisure facilities or even the tourism output, the lough is a vital player in our economic output. We saw the impact last summer when businesses, organisations and individuals had to abandon activities on the lough due to the proliferation of algal blooms, with a number of businesses in constituencies that border mine having to permanently close their doors as a result. <BR /> <BR />Having met stakeholders, from fishermen and environmentalists to farmers, I know that so many expect action from the Assembly and rightly so.”
“I take the opportunity to congratulate you on your new role, Mr Speaker. <BR /> <BR />Although I rise as a representative of North Antrim, I think that my accent belies the fact that north Antrim was not my first home. Until last year, when I moved my family to a place where we have a view of Rathlin Island, we had a view of Ram's Island in Lough Neagh, which was the home place of my great-grandmother, Jane Cardwell, who was the last person to live on that island. <BR /> <BR />I speak on and have an interest in Lough Neagh as the proud daughter, niece and granddaughter of eel fishermen. The lough was a hugely important part of my childhood. It was heartbreaking to see the perfect storm of factors that converged last summer.”
“<BR /> <BR />I do not want Northern Ireland to be a place apart from the rest of these islands because it is falling behind; rather, I want Northern Ireland to be set apart and known as the place where the antenatal and postnatal health of women is prioritised and funded to the extent that our families enjoy world-beating services. A women's health strategy must include those vital components.”
“<BR /> <BR />In addition to perinatal mental health delivery, we need a properly resourced women's strategy that delivers a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to the care pathway for new mothers. The antenatal care received by women can be wonderful and can be focused on the recovery and full support of women at a vulnerable time, but there is also potential for women to fall through the cracks when they are signed off by a community midwife up to two weeks post partum, with care transferred back to the GP and, sometimes, back to the hospital of birth. For women, especially those with a traumatic or surgical birth, wrap-around, multidisciplinary-level care is absolutely essential to ensure that all mothers begin their journey into motherhood feeling valued, seen and cared for.”
“That fear would have been somewhat alleviated had there been a specific mother-and-baby unit. <BR /> <BR />The lack of an Executive has certainly hampered the implementation and delivery of that crucial service, which is definitely regrettable. The commitment and work done to prepare the business case is great, but we need to see funding and commitment to delivery. I call on the Minister to outline a time frame for delivery of the unit. Without the delivery of a mother-and-baby unit, Northern Ireland risks falling further behind the quality and variety of specialist services that are offered in other jurisdictions. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK without a specialist unit.”
“We also need to see the development of workforce planning and funding to increase training opportunities in order to bolster our workforce. Without properly trained and fairly paid staff, there will be no one to deliver these precious services. <BR /> <BR />A number of years ago, I was able to engage with the Women's Resource and Development Agency (WRDA) Maternal Advocacy and Support project — the MAs. Through that engagement, I shared my experience of perinatal and postnatal mental ill health. During that most vulnerable time, my abiding memory is of the absolute, crippling fear that my baby would be taken from me, either as a result of me accessing the care and help that I so desperately needed or because I would be deemed unfit for even experiencing the horrendous postnatal anxiety and depression that I felt.”
“The Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA) recognised in its 2023 briefing that there has been an improvement in service provision across Northern Ireland in recent years. For example, all five health trusts now have a community perinatal mental health team in place. That is a very welcome development. I pay tribute to those professionals and the Minister for their work on developing and rolling out those teams, but we have a long way to go. The MMHA outlines a number of risk factors specific to perinatal mental health in Northern Ireland, including the variations between trusts that make service provision a postcode lottery. Everyone in Northern Ireland should have the opportunity to avail themselves of the same level of service provision and access to perinatal mental health.”
“It is so pertinent not only to my very recent experience but to the experiences of many in my predominantly rural community. That brings its own challenges in access to healthcare, before we even begin to address the inequalities that exist for women in the healthcare arena.”
“Rest assured, I am honoured to represent North Antrim now, and I will do all that is in my power, with passion and heart, to represent those who voted for an alternative. <BR /> <BR />They say that it takes a village to raise a child, and that is never more true than for the child of a politician. I recognise the support of my family, especially my mother, Harriet, and my husband, Kieran, who have taken over the primary caring responsibilities for our beautiful seven-week-old daughter and our two wonderful sons. I have promised Alfie and Cathal that I will be home for bedtime stories tonight, so I thank them for their patience. <BR /> <BR />As the first mother to represent my constituency, I am passionate about the voices of women and parents being heard in the Chamber. That brings me to the motion.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, and congratulations on your new role. I proudly rise to support the motion on behalf of the many women in my constituency of North Antrim. First, however, as this is my maiden speech, I am in the unusual position of acknowledging not one but two predecessors. It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the almost two decades of representation that Mervyn Storey gave to my constituency, and I thank him for his service. Patricia O'Lynn was unable to avail herself of the opportunity to rise in the Chamber on behalf of our constituents, but I thank her for the work that she carried out in the months following her historic election to this place as the first woman elected in North Antrim.”