Peter Martin
North Down · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“Minister, the Northern Ireland Audit Office report is very critical of your Department on the topic of flood risk. You have just read out some interventions that your Department has made. The report's most substantial criticism is that your Department cannot show that its activities to build flood risk defences:”
“It also seeks to rebalance a level of government control by removing certain powers that the Department currently holds, including direction and control over appointments to board positions. That supports the case for reclassification by ONS.”
“<BR /> <BR />Members were keen to hear directly from young people, who will probably be most affected by GDL, so we consulted the Youth Assembly. The Committee was impressed by the thoughtful and constructive nature of that engagement.”
“<BR /> <BR />I am confident that the Committee will be able to engage positively and work collaboratively with the Department to ensure that the Bill reflects the current areas where reform is required.”
“<BR /> <BR />Having considered all the evidence, the Committee ultimately concluded that it would not be appropriate to proceed until it was fully satisfied that the driving instructor sector believed that the proposed date of 1 October 2026, which the Minister referenced, was realistic and achievable.”
“With your permission, Mr Speaker, it is important to consider the proposal in the context of the wider legislative package that is required to bring GDL into operation, and the Minister referenced that. <BR /> <BR />At the outset, I make it clear that the Committee supports the principle of GDL.”
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“I always thank the Member for giving way. Will the Member clarify whether he supports or opposes the Islamic Republic of Iran?”
“It will allow ballistic missile capabilities to be improved and refined until they can reach the borders of Europe. We will call Iran out for what it is, which is a terror-sponsoring, theocratic state that poses an ongoing threat, not just to Israel but to all countries in the region. As such, we will oppose the motion.”
“I would love to, Matthew, honestly, but I would not get this finished. <BR /> <BR />The motion, rightly, mentions the distress felt by many British and Irish citizens who are stranded in the region or were in recent times, but the faux concern of Sinn Féin has, rightly, been characterised by every other party in the Chamber as too little, too late. The First Minister for all could not show up at a key briefing, and it was left to our Minister, the deputy First Minister, to be in the room for all citizens, be they British or Irish, in this country. The DUP will not sanitise the Islamic Republic of Iran like the Members opposite. We will call it out for what it is, its human rights abuses, what it is doing to women in that country, and the fact that it will not allow self-determination or democracy.”
“I cannot. <BR /> <BR />Let us at least be honest. Most of us understand that Iran poses a clear and present danger to all states in the region with its ballistic missile capabilities. There is a Shahab-3 variant that has a range of almost 2,000 km and, it is said, is designed to be nuclear-capable. If we allowed Iran to develop such nuclear ballistic capabilities, they would, as my colleague said, be within striking range of Greece, Romania, Bulgaria and Cyprus. There is no mention in the motion of Iran's strikes against Israel. I know that Sinn Féin will not particularly care about that, but the motion also fails to mention the strikes that Iran is currently carrying out against the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, Jordan, Turkey and Cyprus.”
“I assume that that is a poor attempt at sarcasm from Sinn Féin, although it is in bad taste. Some 30,000 people called recently for self-determination in Iran, and what was the regime's response? Those people were killed on the streets just for standing up for self-determination, so please tell me how negotiation is going to free the people of Iran. Do not patronise the people of Iran by even talking about your understanding of what self-determination is.”
“No, I want to make some progress. <BR /> <BR />Let me deal with the Sinn Féin contention that the matter should be settled with talks and diplomacy. There has been a 24-year diplomatic history over the issue. Iran has never been serious in its negotiations. Iran has no intention to disarm its ballistic nuclear programme. It is a little bit akin to Chamberlain, back in 1939, coming back to this country and saying, "Peace for our time". Iran has never been serious about it, and it never will be. <BR /> <BR />The motion states that it:”
“I know that neither of them will shed any tears over the targeting of those who put them there, and I am sure that they will be praying for the regime to fall. <BR /> <BR />The First Minister said earlier today that this party championed the war and was on the wrong side of the issue. I am glad that we are on the side of women in Iran, such as Miss Tabari and Miss Azizi, and I wonder what side that leaves her and her party on.”
“I just have. <BR /> <BR />Let us look at what life is like for a woman in Iran under Islamic law. Iranian law does not criminalise marital rape or any other forms of domestic violence. Rape is not even classified as a distinct crime under Iranian law. The Center for Human Rights in Iran said that intimate partner violence and so-called honour killings are so commonplace in Iran that only a small fraction of cases are actually reported. Under Iranian Islamic sharia law, a girl can be married at 13 but, with the permission of the father, can be married at nine. <BR /> <BR />I would like to read into the record the names of two brave women, Zahra Tabari and Pakhshan Azizi, both are human rights activists who live under a death sentence for simply opposing the regime that we are talking about today. Both remain in prison.”
“No one is going to stand on this side of the Chamber and stand over the deaths of any children in Iran.”
“I will. I have not got too far, but I will.”
“We have not talked very much about actual Iranians during this, so I thought that I would do that. What is life like for a woman in the Islamic Republic?”
“Does the Member agree that private and personal female spaces in Parliament Buildings should be used only by those who have been born female?”
“How will your Department ensure that applicants are kept informed of progress on a given scheme?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. The Infrastructure Committee has received oral evidence that there could be a high demand for such schemes. What specific resources will be dedicated to meeting that demand in her Department? How will her Department ensure that applicants for such a scheme are kept informed of progress?”
“Will the Member confirm whether, if evidence is provided to him that deploying classroom assistants in a different way from one-to-one support improves outcomes for children with special educational needs, he will support that?”
“We often hear criticism in the House, and journalists point to a lack of legislative ambition. They point to the fact that there are not policies flowing out of the Departments. However, here we have a Minister who is delivering change, enabling positive reform and delivering a pathway to better support children at the heart of our education system. That is exactly what the Chamber should be doing. It is frustrating to hear those criticisms when we have a Minister who is making a change that, I believe, is positive. I encourage Members to support our amendment.”
“In fact, they have found that the deployment of one-to-one support is not the most effective way of supporting children. I thought that that was interesting, because, sometimes, when we look at these things and look at changes — the Member for Foyle has referenced this — people are worried about what the research says and what other countries have done. I know that the Education Committee is looking at a SEN inquiry. As I prepared for the debate, I found that the evidence base is clear. When we approach something like this, we have to make sure that we have the best interests of the child at heart at all times, especially for our most vulnerable children.”
“When I looked at the Finnish system, which is heralded as the pinnacle of how to do education in Europe, what I found was really interesting, because it is not a one-to-one system. Finland has an integrated system that is similar to our specialist provision in mainstream schools (SPIMs), and special educational needs children are very much in mainstream schools there.”
“A further 240 assistants will be offered training over the next couple of years. The Education Minister has been crystal clear in the House that any child who requires one-to-one support will be guaranteed that without question. <BR /> <BR />My understanding is that a SEN budget will be introduced and will provide funding directly to schools. In fact, such funding is in place in a number of schools in Northern Ireland. I understand that the Belfast Boys' Model School, which I know well, trialled that in the first place. <BR /> <BR />I also did some research on the effectiveness of how we support our special educational needs children by looking at the Finnish system, which, I know, is a favourite of some folk in the SDLP and is well quoted by the Sinn Féin Member for West Belfast.”
“them. <BR /> <BR />The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), which is a well-known and respected educational charity in England, said something similar, but I do not have time to read that out. <BR /> <BR />None of what I have just said demeans the role of classroom assistants in Northern Ireland. They make a significant impact on our children when deployed correctly. They are absolutely invaluable to the education that we provide, but a question remains over how they are used. The Education Minister has recognised that. In fact, he wants classroom assistants to have greater responsibility and a more clearly defined career path. The early years SEN assistant training project commenced two months ago, with 114 classroom assistants completing accredited special educational needs-specific training across our five FE colleges.”
“I thank Danny for his intervention. The Education Authority clearly has to place children somewhere, and it does that to the best of its ability, given the resource challenges that, we both know, are present in Northern Ireland. That is why the Education Minister has set out the SEN reform agenda, with half a billion pounds to be spent over 10 years to ensure that children are placed in the right setting. <BR /> <BR />The Sinn Féin Member for West Belfast who is sitting to the left of Danny has asked the Education Minister a couple of times in the Chamber for evidence on educational policies, and the Member for Foyle just referenced that in his speech, so I took some time to look at the evidence base. <BR /> <BR />University College London carried out extensive research on classroom assistants and their deployment.”
“However, at the heart of the motion is how we utilise classroom assistants in Northern Ireland. We have a system that increasingly relies on classroom assistants who, sometimes, are present in classrooms in sizeable numbers. I have been in classrooms where there have been seven or eight classroom assistants, plus a teacher. It goes back to making sure that we have the children's best interests at heart, especially those of children with special educational needs, and deploy the resources that we have in the best way possible.”
“Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I thank the SDLP for tabling the motion. I start by acknowledging the absolutely vital role that classroom assistants in Northern Ireland play, which is exactly the contention of the motion:”
“Aligned with the SPS agreement, when did the Minister last meet the Health Minister about the fact that, since January, retailers based in Great Britain cannot directly supply vet meds to consumers in Northern Ireland and that that has caused prices to rise for pet owners who wish to purchase those medicines? Is he concerned about that?”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. Minister, I asked the question because the man accused of causing the death of my constituent Jaidyn Rice was granted bail despite being subject to an interim driving ban. Given that the amendments that you have referenced are wide-ranging, would you accept an amendment to the Justice Bill that would provide courts with much clearer guidance on the setting of bail conditions?”
“I love a Minister who gives way. It is always very exciting. <BR /> <BR />Does the Minister agree — I suspect that he does — that his strategy of shift left, or, as I call it, earlier intervention, not only delivers better outcomes for the people whom the illness affects but is more cost-effective for the health service?”
“<BR /> <BR />In closing, eating disorders are serious, complex and often hidden illnesses, but recovery is possible. The key is early intervention, and lying behind that are effective services, supportive communities and sustained commitment from policymakers. All of that combined can make a difference and perhaps lead to a redemptive story such as Mary's. I hope that we can achieve that. I thank everyone for coming and being part of the debate, and I urge Members to support the motion.”
“Of course, Minister, I am talking about the business case to enhance the regional eating disorder service. People living with eating disorders and their families cannot afford indefinite delays. Timely decisions will help to translate plans and strategies into real care. The Minister cannot be held accountable for Mary's experience of the service 10 years ago, but we do encourage him to take steps now — actions that will improve the service for young girls and boys now and for those coming in the future. We cannot change the past, as we all know in this Chamber, but we can shape the future to be better than the past. Today I ask you, Minister, what the timescale is for the business case. I am sure that it is there in your lines. Do you believe that you will be able to sign it off in the current mandate?”
“Mary, who was in her early 20s, ended up experiencing a very mixed bag of clinical and consultant care. Thankfully, Mary's story is one that is redemptive. She recovered, she beat her illness and she is now helping others to do the same. However, so many of the friends that she met in hospitals and other units died. We saw their obituaries on Facebook. Last week, there was a celebration of 20 years of the eating disorder service in Northern Ireland. I have to be very honest and say that my personal experience of walking with a young lady through that service is not something that I would choose to celebrate. We cannot place that on the Minister, but I thought, as I attended that meeting, that my experience was very different. <BR /> <BR />I believe that, in order to make progress, we need to set a clear time frame.”
“At the time that the mental health strategy was published, it was acknowledged that securing the necessary funding would be challenging and would likely need collaboration across government. I recognise that, and I also recognise and note the support that the Minister of Health has shown. Over the past 18 months, the Minister and his departmental officials have engaged with key stakeholders, including the charity Beat and clinical experts in the field. It would be wrong of me not to note that. <BR /> <BR />I have to reflect, however, that my personal experience of supporting a young girl 10 years ago was very different. When I was doing that, there was very patchy clinical support, and often the expertise was very far away, maybe in London or Liverpool. It was very far away from the home network that that young lady relied on.”
“In addition to that, the recently launched managed care network for eating disorders represents an important step forward and there is encouraging political engagement through the all-party group (APG) on eating disorders and disordered eating. I chair that APG, and some of its members are here today. The APG recognises that this is an illness that affects everyone and it will seek to bring focus to the issue. <BR /> <BR />All positive progress should be recognised, but challenges do remain. Research suggests that one in six children and young people is showing a pattern of disordered eating. Furthermore, the population of eating disorder admissions to the general adolescent inpatient unit tripled between 2019 and 2024. It is by no means exclusive to them, but many of those are young girls. Those trends underline the urgency of action.”
“as well as improving clinical consultation and providing support for inpatient units that manage high-risk patients with eating disorders. All those measures recognise the simple but critical point that early and effective community treatment is essential. <BR /> <BR />There have been many improvements in planning and service coordination. The deliverability review of the mental health strategy, which was published in October 2025, noted that the strategic planning and performance group (SPPG) had completed an outline business case for a regional eating disorder service, which is awaiting a financial review. I will come back to that at the end of my remarks.”
“The vision includes supporting services to provide specialist treatment for patients who present with eating disorders, including those with mild to moderate conditions, without unnecessary delay. The strategy outlines plans to develop talking therapy hubs and:”
“If it were, the Benches would be full and we would be getting ready to shout at each other across the Chamber and disagree, politically, on some issues. That is not the case. There will be people watching today, including some who have been in contact with me, who are looking to us, especially to the Minister, to give them hope. Families and carers play a crucial role in recovery, and supporting someone with an eating disorder can be emotionally exhausting and very isolating, as I know at first hand. <BR /> <BR />Action 29(d) of the mental health strategy 2021-2031 sets out an ambitious vision for improving eating disorder services and specialist treatments.”
“The delays are quite common, and the illness can become significantly more entrenched during the time of the delay, with the suffering experienced by individuals and their family deepening and the need for more intensive, invasive and often more costly interventions increasing. In many cases, hospital admissions follow, putting additional pressure on the health service, and, for that matter, on the individuals' loved ones. <BR /> <BR />Last week was Eating Disorder Awareness Week. I hope that that, along with the motion, increases public awareness and reminds people that there is help out there, so that, if they are concerned about themselves or a family member, they can reach out. <BR /> <BR />The debate is not politically contentious.”
“Early intervention is absolutely key, however, and, as we know — the Health Minister definitely knows it — is more cost-effective for the health service. When individuals are able to access specialist support, their chances of recovery increase significantly. Unfortunately, that is not everyone's experience. Many individuals face long delays before they get the help that they need. On average, those who access treatment experience a gap of about three years from the onset of their eating disorder until the start of their treatment. Some of that delay is down to the fact that they need to be diagnosed and that that process is quite complicated, but those are the figures.”
“Eating disorders reach into homes, schools, workplaces and social circles, leaving significant trails of impact as they go. Tragically, they carry some of the highest preventable mortality rates of any mental illness. Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any mental health condition, and research indicates that one in six people with a binge-eating disorder has attempted to end their life. Those figures remind us that eating disorders are not lifestyle choices or phases but real illnesses that require recognition, compassion, understanding and effective treatment. <BR /> <BR />There is also an important message of hope. Recovery is possible. With the right treatment and support, people recover from eating disorders.”
“Eating disorders are a serious and complex mental illness. In the United Kingdom, 1·25 million people are currently living with an eating disorder. When we bring that to Northern Ireland, it is 37,000 individuals. Those are not statistics, although they sound like them. They are people: friends, family members and colleagues who are affected by an illness that, very often, in the early stages, is hidden. My party's reason for tabling the motion was to raise awareness of the illness and to call for better and, in particular, earlier support. <BR /> <BR />It is important to remember that eating disorders do not discriminate. They affect people of all ages, sexes, ethnicities, backgrounds and political opinions. No community is immune.”
“I will say this in my final 13 seconds: the Member opposite will not be surprised to hear that, clearly, I do not recognise that.”
“I thank the Member for South Antrim. I do not want to see any more nuclear weapons than we already have, and I am sure that the Member does not either. The theme is correct, however: in this uncertain world, a country has to be able to defend itself. The Republic of Ireland is a neutral country, but it relies on this country for its defence. That will not be acceptable for much longer.”
“A country is completely within its rights to be neutral, but that is increasingly difficult to justify in the uncertain world in which we live.”
“Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I do not suspect that I will need it. I completely agree with my colleague that the way that the motion is framed will clearly be divisive in the Chamber because we all take recognisably different constitutional positions.”
“<BR /> <BR />Whilst we consider the motion and the amendment, given the world that we live in and as we talk about defence, it is worth bearing in mind, as has been referenced, that the key responsibility of a Government is to defend their own citizens.”
“The EU might conceivably take a different view. It has been argued and well quoted in the Chamber today that Ireland is freeloading on other EU states for its defence, as measured either in per capita or gross figures. However, my view is slightly different in that the EU is quite happy because the Republic of Ireland, as has been noted, relies wholly on the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for its defence at all levels, land, sea and air. It gets all that for free. That is not a bad deal, but I suspect that it will not be one that we will hear referenced from the opposite Benches today.”
“Today, Ireland is, unfortunately, widely recognised as "free-riding" on NATO for its aerial and maritime capabilities, as Dublin lacks the capacity to defend its own airspace as has been reflected, or the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Despite bearing responsibility for 16% of the EU's territorial waters and the fact that 75% of transatlantic undersea cables pass through or near Irish waters, Ireland is "totally defenceless". <BR /> <BR />The figures behind that assertion show that the UK spends £66 billion on defence each year, and that the Republic spends £1·18 billion on defence. When you do the calculation on that, you see that that figure represents 1·79% of UK defence spending. People have argued that Ireland is neutral and asked why it should spend any more money on defence if it is, in fact, neutral.”
“Thank you very much, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I want to pick up on some themes that have been talked about today, including defence, which the previous Member to speak and the Member for South Antrim mentioned, but I will start with the comments of the Member for Foyle. If she had taken an intervention from me, I would have asked her whether she believes that a country should have a defensive capability, and that applies throughout the whole of the UK and to all European countries. I think that that is very important and has been reflected in the debate. <BR /> <BR />A global study called 'The Military Balance 2025', conducted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), revealed that the Republic of Ireland is at the bottom of the European table of 38 countries for defence spending as a percentage of GDP.”
“I apologise, Mr Speaker. I thank the DFM for going to the security briefings over the weekend and gaining live information that will assist British and Irish passport holders from Northern Ireland who are in the region. We needed someone in that room. Will she share any additional information that is not subject to ongoing security considerations that she wants to get out to British or Irish citizens in the region?”
“Muslims are persecuted in Iran if they do not meet the standards of Islamic law. Human Rights Watch said at the weekend that waves of arrests have continued following the countrywide massacres of 8 January. Authorities have subjected detainees to torture and ill treatment. Those detained are at serious risk of death in custody, unfair trials and secret summary executions. That is the regime that we are talking about. <BR /> <BR />When I was at the House of Commons, I met Iranian dissidents in the UK. They pleaded with me to ask His Majesty's Government to do anything that the Government could to overthrow the regime. This party completely supports the British Government in defensive actions supporting our citizens in the region. I hope that what we saw at the weekend will result in the overthrow of the appalling regime in Iran.”
“<BR /> <BR />I heard the Sinn Féin Member for South Antrim on the radio this morning — the First Minister, I think, was unavailable — when he said that he condemned the Zionist attacks and believed in self-determination for Iran. I say to Members that Iran will never enjoy self-determination. Members have used that phrase today. Any dissent in Iran results in one of three things: torture, imprisonment or death. That is a lesson that many people in Northern Ireland learned at the hands of terrorists. At the weekend, an Iranian woman said that her nephew was imprisoned in Iran. She did not know whether he was still alive or dead, but she welcomed the attack by the US and Israel and said that it was the only choice available. <BR /> <BR />Mr Gaston mentioned the persecution of Christians in Iran. Anyone is persecuted.”
“I am glad that at least some Members have talked about the Iranian people in the middle of the debate, and I reflect the fact that 'Channel 4 News', which is hardly GB News, reported over the weekend that Iranians in the UK have welcomed the death of the ayatollah. It is a moment that many Iranians have dreamt of: that maybe, just maybe, the man responsible for the decades-long crushing oppression and death of tens of thousands of his people has met his demise. There was celebration on the streets of north London: people draped in Iran's pre-Islamic revolution flag, dancing in the streets as Israel and the US attacked Iran. They are Muslims — British citizens in our country — celebrating an attack by the US and Israel.”