Michelle Guy
Lagan Valley · Alliance Party · Northern Ireland
“It can be seen from those quotes that the issue impacts on girls in a real and practical way. If they feel too uncomfortable to be in school, it is impacting on their access to education. If they hold back in PE or while playing at break or lunch, what does that say to them about how we value exercise and sport?”
“Essentially, he was saying that we had to draw the line somewhere, and the automatic right of girls to be allowed to wear trousers is where that line has been drawn. <BR /> <BR />Some will play down the issue and say that it is relevant in only a small number of schools.”
“When I explain what the legislation would do, the reaction from people is almost always the same. They ask, "Are you seriously saying that, in 2026, girls can't wear trousers in school?". The answer is that they do not have that right.”
“The Assembly should support the Bill. I again ask the Minister to save us time by simply updating the statutory uniform guidelines. I find the DUP position of enabling the Bill to progress to Committee Stage while its Minister is against it to be quite bizarre.”
“<BR /> <BR />I question why that basic request from girls and young women is being denied or is deemed to be unimportant. Ultimately, it comes down to the fact that some people — mainly men — still want to control what women wear.”
“I take the Member's point. Ultimately, however, the person who could make the change is the Minister, and he has decided not to. Saying that schools have a choice or that they have autonomy does not absolve the Minister from his ultimately having responsibility to be able to make that change.”
The complete record
Every one of 572 lines we hold for Michelle Guy, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 12 of 12.
“The mental health champion identified clear ways for impact to be felt, the number-one priority being the workforce and the need to grow the CAMHS and therapies workforces, yet little appears to have been done directly on that. <BR /> <BR />While some good progress has been made through Education and Health working in partnership on the emotional health and well-being framework, for instance, we still have not had the funding for Healthy Happy Minds restored. Its absence can create unacceptable inequities within families. For example, a year 8 child in a family experiencing bereavement can receive counselling through school, but that child's sibling in primary school will receive no support.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Public Accounts Committee produced a stark report on our mental health services and where the mental health strategy stands. The disappointing progress on implementation to date that it notes is, in large part, down to the fact that only £10 million of the £35 million deemed necessary for 2023-24 was allocated. Perhaps it is time that we stopped saying, "We can't afford to do these things", and accepted that we cannot afford not to do them. The words that really jump off the page in the PAC report are those that note that the majority of the work that has been done to date would not be felt by users. The actions that we take must be felt by those who are suffering.”
“Excellent work is being done to help young people who are suffering with mental health issues. Parents, guardians, healthcare professionals, teachers, community clubs and more are working to ensure the well-being of children. However, the need is so great that more support is required. As Matthew's experience highlights, we have to ensure that services do not fail those in crisis. Staff who interact with anyone presenting in mental distress should have a basic level of training to ensure appropriate triage and referral. As with so many things, evidence tells us that early intervention is essential; cross-departmental working and multi-year Budgets are a must; and we need to not just keep producing strategies but to implement actions.”
“Statistics do no justice to the individual stories of pain that they represent or to the complexity of the circumstances that have caused the mental health condition to develop. Over the weekend, I took time to speak to Matthew Taylor, a young man living in Lisburn who has openly talked about his mental health struggles, which eventually resulted in inpatient care. He tells of an uneven experience. Matthew got help and is grateful for it, but, in some early interactions, he was simply not believed. He was told that he was selfish and that, if he was serious, he would have tried to kill himself already. <BR /> <BR />It is crucial that, when people take the difficult step to ask for help, especially when our resources are so constrained, our pathways do not fail from within.”
“That is a shocking figure. It further notes:”
“I thank the Member who tabled the motion. I will focus on mental health provision and support for our children and young people. The statistics tell a story. The results of the Northern Ireland youth wellbeing prevalence survey indicate that 12·1% of 11-to-19-year-olds in Northern Ireland have thought about or attempted suicide. The CAMHS waiting list from March this year showed that almost 2,000 young people were waiting for an assessment. Those statistics for adolescents are a particular worry, given that those are their formative years. <BR /> <BR />The World Health Organization (WHO) states:”
“Oops, sorry. That was dramatic at the end.”
“The all-party parliamentary group on Votes at 16 report in 2019 stated that civic education was important but not all forms of civic education worked equally well and that ill-conceived measures may be counterproductive. <BR /> <BR />I want to bookend the speech by thanking my family. It was a wee bit too risky to do that earlier in case I got emotional. To Chris, the kids, my parents, sisters and close friends, who know that I am doing this, in their words, for the right reasons and who have supported me through so much this year in particular, I say, "Thank you, and I love you".”
“alongside the introduction of votes at 16. It is important to emphasise that that recommendation is not about inserting some form of conditionality on extending the right to vote; rather, it would be a complementary measure. Not only is it recommended in the 2023 Out of Kilter report but our young people tell us that provision in that space is inadequate. <BR /> <BR />A Secondary Students' Union report in 2023, 'Let Us Learn', states that nearly 80% of students said no when asked whether they had been taught about democracy and active participation in learning for life and work (LLW). Furthermore, our amendment calls expressly for high-quality provision, and that is important.”
“She is informed and engaged, and, when she turns 16 in a couple of years' time, she has the right to express herself democratically. <BR /> <BR />I sit on the Education Committee, and our amendment calls for:”
“This is the girl who was 10 at the last US elections and, on results night, came down the stairs, even though she was quite tired and should have been sleeping, to ask whether there was any word on Pennsylvania.”
“To my knowledge, no country that has extended the franchise in this way has since reneged on it. <BR /> <BR />As a group, our young people are anything but ill informed, and they are certainly not passive citizens. They volunteer in our communities, participate in our workforce and are carers. They increasingly inform and help to co-design policies that impact on them, but they have no right to express their verdict democratically on those same policy outcomes in the way that the rest of us can by voting in elections. <BR /> <BR />This being my maiden speech, it feels appropriate to mention my own two young people. My Dan is only 13, so I reckon that he is more concerned with FIFA packs and his under-14 championship final this Friday. Good luck, boys. I would, however, let Caitlin vote tomorrow.”
“I love its objective and what, evidence tells us, will be its outworking: more engaged, civically aware and active young citizens who will contribute more because voting gives them a greater stake in our society. If it is delivered — rather, when it is delivered — it will be a hugely significant change that will be transformative for our democracy locally. Extending the franchise to a new cohort is a big deal, and history tells us that it is something that too many people were denied in the past for very dark reasons. The movement for votes at 16 does not fall into that bracket. Arguably, resistance to the move can be categorised as ignorant, maybe patronising and certainly ill informed, given the evidence base that it is a positive move for democracy.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am genuinely honoured to stand here as the new MLA for Lagan Valley. I extend my sincere congratulations and thanks to the formidable Sorcha Eastwood MP, who occupied the seat before me. Sorcha, you leave big shoes and brightly coloured handbags to fill, but as with you and our Lagan Valley colleague, David Honeyford, our cause is simple: to make this place the best version of itself now for everyone who lives here. <BR /> <BR />I also extend my thanks to our amazing councillors and members of the Lagan Valley association for encouraging me to go for this opportunity and for their help and support since my selection. You really are a special group, and I will do all that I can to be worthy of the faith that you have shown in me. <BR /> <BR />I love the motion.”
“Thank you, Minister, for that answer. Northern Ireland's relatively strong economic performance has been predominantly in the services sector, although the manufacturing sector should benefit from dual market access. Can the Minister give a more specific update on what work has been done by Invest NI to sell the benefits of dual market access, including to potential investors in North America?”
“Thank you, First Minister. In previous answers, you noted that the Maze/Long Kesh Development Corporation was developing options for Ministers to approve. For such a long-standing project, we need timelines and next steps. Will you outline when those proposals will be with you and what the next steps are?”
“Will the First Minister detail what steps are planned for the remainder of the mandate to recognise those who have made a contribution to peace in Northern Ireland?”
“Thank you, Minister. Your answer reassures me that you understand the need for that provision in schools. Is the Minister aware that the South Eastern Trust intends to withdraw nursing support from special schools in its catchment area? Would he agree to join my colleague Nick Mathison and me at an urgent meeting with the principals of the affected schools to discuss the trust's decision?”
“As part of a broader childcare strategy, is the Minister considering introducing support through the rates system for early years and childcare settings, building on the experience in Scotland and Wales?”
“It is crucial for the integrity of the draft Programme for Government, which I welcome, that children and young people are engaged in the consultation. What might actively engaging that cohort look like?”
“<BR /> <BR />As part of the development of a wider childcare strategy, what measures will be provided to support school-age childcare?”
“Thank you, deputy First Minister and First Minister, for your statement. It is positive to see the draft Programme for Government being published today, and we look forward to engaging more on implementation in the months and years ahead. <BR /> <BR />Alliance has led the way on childcare policy in recent years, and we are pleased to see the roll-out of interim measures this summer, including the subsidy scheme. As a mother who is, effectively, returning to the workplace full-time today, having taken time out and worked part-time when my kids were small, due in no small part to the challenge of childcare, I am really pleased to see that childcare has been given the profile that it deserves by being included in the priorities of the draft Programme for Government.”