Timothy Gaston
North Antrim · Traditional Unionist Voice · Northern Ireland
“I begin my remarks by putting on record, once again, my thanks to the victims and survivors who have campaigned for many years to bring us to this point today, where the Bill will pass its Final Stage.”
“There is an onus on the Assembly in the next mandate to ensure that the work continues, with a second phase of redress that will consider individualised acknowledgement of the harm and trauma that the birth mothers and adult adoptees experienced.”
“I trust that those who have worked diligently in the background on the terms of reference will reflect the requests of the Committee and those who have given evidence to ensure that they are victim-centred and that truth and justice will be pursued.”
“Throughout the process, the Committee has taken steps to ensure that victims and survivors of religious institutions, state homes and private homes see themselves reflected in the Bill.”
“At a recent meeting of the Committee for the Executive Office, the Migrants' Rights Network complained that, in the second half of 2025, the UK Government increased raids focused on illegal working. When raids increased by 76%, arrests increased by 169%.”
“The revelations that have come to light since dirty Donaldson's conviction and the red flags that his colleagues ignored raise profound and troubling questions for the DUP, but for Sinn Féin generally and Deirdre Hargey in particular to come to the Chamber and pontificate about safeguarding is utter hypocrisy.”
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“I join in with the warm words of welcome from Members for the Minister's statement. <BR /> <BR />Minister, I want to know what you are doing to address the scandal in sports such as swimming, cycling, rowing and boxing, where barriers are placed in the way of young athletes who want to represent the UK at the Olympics, with the default position being that they have to compete under the foreign tricolour. Surely, in 2025, the Sport NI policy of recognising only one governing body for a sport in Northern Ireland urgently needs to be changed.”
“— and Castle Tower School. I am glad that you remember. What are you going to do about them?”
“Yes, and that is why I am asking the question.”
“Minister, your statement speaks to the dysfunctional nature of the Executive that you have had to come to the Chamber to attempt to lever this much-needed money into your Department rather than having Executive agreement prior to making your statement. You have invested £110 million in the past two years, which includes funding for 98 additional classrooms. Currently, we are using 39 modular buildings in the special needs estate. If successful in your ask, will it be more temporary modular buildings or can you assure us today that we will see actual building work to create permanent, fit-for-purpose, blocks-and-mortar classrooms?”
“I welcome the inclusion of Ballymena United among the tier 2 applications that are being progressed. Taking inflation into account, the ring-fenced £36·2 million Northern Ireland Football Fund commitment announced on Friday is worth just 69% of what was promised in 2011. Can the Minister give the House a commitment that the same approach will be applied to Casement Park and that not one penny more will be added to the overgenerous sum promised in 2011 to that tainted project?”
“Minister, listen to the public, not the Rainbow Project. Heed parents, not activists. Stand with biology, not ideology.”
“Young children are still developing. They cannot meaningfully consent to lifelong consequences. Referrals at such an early age push them down a path from which they cannot return. The third issue is the misuse of public funds. An FOI request revealed that the funding was not a one-off but will be repeated year after year, with even more costs planned for GP involvement in phase 2.”
“<BR /> <BR />The petition highlights three fundamental issues. The first is the lack of medical evidence. The Cass review found the evidence base for child gender services to be of poor quality and insufficient. The Minister's hasty, rapid review announcement, made only after the petition began to get traction, merely proves that he acted first and thought later. The second issue is the vulnerability of children.”
“I present the petition on behalf of over 3,300 citizens, parents and taxpayers who are deeply concerned about the Health Minister's decision to fund a so-called lifespan gender identity service. The scheme commits to spending £806,000 every year: money that our struggling health service cannot spare. While cancer patients wait and mental health services collapse, Mike Nesbitt has chosen to bankroll a controversial project built on ideology and not on evidence. <BR /> <BR />At the root, it comes down to truth. A man is a man; a woman is a woman; and no service, ideology or lobby group can change that. Yet, the Minister invited the Rainbow Project — a radical activist organisation that rejects those basic realities — to act as a co-design partner. That is outsourcing public health policy to lobbyists.”
“Whatever differences I have with other Members, I urge each and every one of you to seek the same experience, go after the same saviour and put your trust in him, as Charlie Kirk did.”
“There is, and there has always been, an alternative. <BR /> <BR />I began by noting that Charlie lived out the biblical love and concern to reason with his opponents. On that same theme, I want to bring my remarks to a close by observing that he knew the full truth of the verse:”
“Regardless of ideology, such acts are and have always been wrong.”
“Through social media, his work reached a global audience, with many homes in Northern Ireland, including my own, following him. He gave a voice to those with Christian and conservative views by defending the right to speak without fear of censorship or intimidation. The Assembly should reflect on what his life teaches us: freedom of expression and the liberties that we hold dear are fragile, and they must be defended against political violence. <BR /> <BR />Politically motivated murder is and was always wrong. We need only to look at our history. Memorials in Parliament Buildings remind us of Sir Norman Stronge and his son, James, murdered by the Provisionals; Senator Jack Barnhill, murdered by the Official IRA; and Senator Paddy Wilson, murdered in particularly vicious circumstances by loyalists.”
“Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I pay tribute to and give thanks for the life of Charlie Kirk. At just 31 years of age, Charlie was a devoted husband to Erika and a loving father to his two beautiful children. His loss is deeply felt not only by his family but by all those who value conviction, courage and the right to speak freely. Charlie Kirk stood for family, his Christian values and his conservative principles when he advocated, as he did all the time, for family, faith and liberty. His approach to those who disagreed with him was grounded in biblical exhortation:”
“— and now they want to turn their backs on the farmer.”
“Which of those parties supported the Going for Growth strategy? They need to reflect on that. All those parties were happy to support Going for Growth when it suited them —”
“Those who do not support their mad net-zero policies are approaching this from a different place and are doing so dispassionately.”
“That is another aspect of this whole issue that is regulated by the Northern Ireland Executive through Northern Ireland Water. <BR /> <BR />Let us not forget that the latest algae blooms correlated with COVID, when we saw a sharp increase in people's use of cleaning products in their homes. Could that be a factor? Have we considered that? Before we look to the farmers, we need to heed the words of scripture: "Physician, heal thyself". <BR /> <BR />Let us concede, for the sake of argument, that the parties that want to see agriculture in the Province driven to the wall through their NAP and the climate action plan are correct. Let us not forget that the same party and Minister kept AgriSearch out of the NAP stakeholder forum.”
“That is the issues relating to sewage, storm overflows and trade effluent. When I first raised that point in the House, shortly after my arrival in this place, Minister Muir told me that he did not want to get into a blame game. My question, and the Minister's response, are on record, and, should he wish to dispute it, it is in the Hansard report of 1 October 2024 for all to see. When I raised that point again on 4 November 2024, the story was similar. I trust that we can all now agree that the discharge of untreated sewage directly into rivers and into Lough Neagh, carrying phosphorus, organic matter and bacteria, all of which exacerbate algae growth, needs to stop. Industrial trade effluent adds yet more nutrients to the system.”
“<BR /> <BR />Let us look at the facts: first, an overlooked factor is the issue of Russian zebra mussels, an invasive species that, since around 2005, has been reshaping the character of Lough Neagh. Those filter-feeding invaders have exploded in population over the past two decades. They strip out plankton from the water, disrupting the food chain and, by concentrating phosphorus in the sediments, they fuel the algae blooms, which we are trying to control, due to the sunlight now being able to shine through the cleaner water. Many ask who brought the zebra mussels to Lough Neagh in the first place. Nobody can tell us. <BR /> <BR />Secondly, we have the elephant in the room, which I have already mentioned: one which, when I first came to the House, the Minister was keen to ignore.”
“The issue is real, but the narrative to always blame the farmer is not. We hear the mad environmentalists, both inside the Chamber and outside, lamenting that the farmer is always to blame. We always hear about the ecological disaster of biblical proportions. We hear about the horror stories that the lough is dead and that the algae kills all that lives within it, even though it has been a recurring problem for many years. Do not forget, however, that Northern Ireland Water, which dumps a reported 200,000 tons of raw sewage into the lough each year, tells us that the water is safe to drink, and, let us face it, eel commercial fishing has largely been replaced by those now fishing for trout instead. That shows me that the lough is not dead. The crisis is being used to drive an environmental agenda.”
“To ensure harmony, at the opening of my contribution, I will first look at what we all can agree on. We all can agree that Lough Neagh is of huge value to the people of Northern Ireland. We can all agree that, as the largest freshwater lake in the British Isles, it is vital for wildlife, fisheries and the wider community, in general. On that, we are all agreed. Equally, no one in the Chamber can dispute the fact that the blue-green algae issue that was first sighted in the lough in 1923 is a very serious problem, and one that we, as legislators, must address. However, at this juncture, I believe that I will part company with the environmentalists. <BR /> <BR />There are all too many in the House and outside it who are looking for a scapegoat for what is, in reality, a complex and multifaceted problem.”
“<BR /> <BR />To get back to Mr Kearney, it would be interesting to know what he thinks the UN position is on bombing cash and carrys. I am very interested to know that, Mr Kearney, because you were very keen to talk about the UN position when opening the debate.”
“In January, during a humanitarian ceasefire, no fewer than 50 fuel trucks intended for civilians were seized by Hamas. That fuel never reached the hospitals or the homes that it was intended to reach and instead went straight to the Hamas war machine. <BR /> <BR />Here is the truth that the motion ignores: if the hostages were to be released tomorrow, the war would end tomorrow. If Hamas were to stop stealing aid today, the famine would end tomorrow. The motion is not about protecting human rights but about demonising Israel while excusing terrorists. By contrast, the amendment recognises the suffering of the people in Gaza while also recognising the reality of Hamas's crimes. That is why I reject the motion and support the amendment.”
“<BR /> <BR />What has happened to much of that aid? Contrary to what the BBC tells us, it is being looted by Hamas, just like it did with the foreign aid that was sent to the country in recent years. As the amendment rightly notes, Hamas is not only the cause of the war but a major cause of the humanitarian crisis. Aid convoys have been hijacked, warehouses have been emptied and fuel and food have been diverted into the hands of terrorists. Let me give two examples to back that up. Only last month, the IDF wiped out a group of armed men in Gaza who were posing as employees of World Central Kitchen. That charity confirmed that those men had nothing to do with its operation. They were terrorists who were trying to exploit humanitarian operations.”
“I take your guidance, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. <BR /> <BR />The omission of Hamas from the motion is perhaps not all that surprising. For the benefit of Sinn Féin, let us remember what led to this conflict. Two years ago next month, Hamas carried out the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, murdering men, women and children and dragging hostages into Gaza. In the text of the motion, that horror is tagged on as an afterthought at the very end. Of course we are all moved by the scenes of suffering that fill our screens, but it is wrong, morally and factually, to pretend that Israel is deliberately starving the people of Gaza. Since the war began, Israel has facilitated the delivery of millions of tons of food, medicine and fuel into Gaza. That is not the behaviour of a state that is using starvation as a weapon.”
“I oppose the motion and support the Ulster Unionists' amendment. The problem with the motion is obvious. It makes no mention of the role of Hamas, a proscribed terrorist organisation, in the crisis. Instead, it lays the blame — every ounce of blame — at the door of the world's only Jewish state, and that in itself tells its own story. <BR /> <BR />Of course, this is a motion that stands in the name of that great champion of human rights, none other than the cash-and-carry bomber, Mr Sheehan. I wonder whether Mr Kearney, who moved the motion —.”
“Minister, given that bovine TB is costing your Department over £55 million a year, which is almost double the average spend of just a decade ago, with more than two thirds of that going on compensation, taking action now is crucial. You mentioned ongoing work on the issue through the wildlife intervention programme. Are you considering a badger cull? Is a future vaccine on your radar? Will you set out today the interventions that you are looking at? That is what the farmer wants to know, not what will potentially happen down the line. We want to know what you are looking at today.”
“Minister, I thank you for visiting the Kells, Connor and Glenwherry Angling Club's hatchery, following our meeting with club representatives at Clare House during the summer. I trust that that will give you the confidence to approve the section 14 applications that the club has submitted. When it comes to improving the accuracy of fish counts, what progress have you made to establish the number of trout in Lough Neagh to ensure that it is being fished sustainably?”
“Minister, you rightly highlighted the importance of water quality and waste water management. Closer to home, however, there is deep public concern about the reported 200,000 tons of raw sewage being discharged into the Lough Neagh catchment area. Will you outline what progress you have made with your DFI counterpart to ensure that that ongoing pollution, which Northern Ireland Water contributes to, is brought under control?”
“Minister, your statement is full of fine words, and I genuinely wish you well in your vision that you have outlined. However, once again, valued classroom assistants have been overlooked. You ignored my amendment regarding that sector yesterday. Would you like to share with the House how you value classroom assistants and where you see them fitting into the vision that you have outlined?”
“Yesterday, he said that he would be happy to look at the facts that I had to back up what I said. I have shared with you the FOI, and I would be very happy to share it with the Minister of Health to enable him to come back to the House —”
“However, a recently released freedom of information response from the Department, which was obtained by the Christian Institute, clearly details ongoing discussions and planned costs for GP involvement in phase 2 of the service, including the development of a specific training package for shared care arrangements; additional payments for extra duties, such as blood monitoring; and an addendum to the business case to address GP reluctance without full commissioning. That directly contradicts the Minister's assertion that he had no awareness of such costs. <BR /> <BR />I ask you, Mr Speaker, to direct the Minister to correct the record at the earliest opportunity so that the Assembly and the public can have accurate information on the full financial implications of that service.”
“On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Yesterday, during the question for urgent oral answer on gender identity services, the Minister of Health stated that he was:”
“I appeal to those who wrongly rushed to condemn the lodge in question, including Members in the House, to do the honourable thing and apologise. <BR /> <BR />I make no apology for speaking up for my culture and the marching bands scene, and I will continue to do so when given the opportunity in the House.”
“Alongside that, the loyal orders this year staged 19 major demonstrations on the Twelfth, bringing tens of thousands on to the streets to celebrate a living tradition in the glorious sunshine. <BR /> <BR />All that happened despite the usual attempts to blacken my community through lies and mistruths. That was seen most clearly when a lodge in Comber was demonised for 48 hours by the BBC for daring to challenge the GAA's links to republican terrorism. Some in the media have since apologised for getting carried away in the hysteria, yet the BBC — the source of much of that misinformation — offered only a grudging correction, which was hidden away online. The media's double standards are glaring and need to be called out. Republican cultural events are endlessly promoted and defended, while loyalist culture is endlessly maligned.”
“Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I take this opportunity to reflect on the immense contribution that the loyal orders and the marching bands scene made to the cultural life of Northern Ireland over the summer months. Every year, the streets of Ulster resound to the music of marching bands that have spent the winter months reaching a standard that is unmatched anywhere else in the amateur world. Bands give people an identity, a pride and a sense of achievement whilst nurturing their musical talents. <BR /> <BR />A fact that often goes untold is the contribution that bands make to the economy. Uniforms alone can cost £1,000 or more, with no grant support. That is money that goes straight into the economy of Northern Ireland.”
“We started at the same time, and, indeed, we walked out many of those early days and experiences together. I wish Colin all the best. He has moved on and taken up a role with you, Jon. Colin is a genuine guy, and he will be very good and give you great service in your constituency office.”
“Most important is that I pass that over to the Education Committee to ensure that it keeps a focus on the issue and on what has been agreed today in order to hold the Minister to account for delivering the will of the Assembly. <BR /> <BR />Mr Baker cited a constituency case that highlighted how twins had been treated differently. No child should be treated differently. No child should be left at home while their brother or sister gets the opportunity that the child who has been left at home also deserves. <BR /> <BR />I will finish by commending Mr Burrows on his maiden speech. I look forward to working with him in North Antrim. Many of the things that he highlighted are things that we have in common. I also pay tribute to his predecessor, Colin Crawford. Throughout his time in Stormont, Colin has been a friend.”
“That may mean engaging with the General Teaching Council, training providers and unions. <BR /> <BR />Since 96% of classroom assistants are women, improving their conditions will also require the Department to review gender pay and employment equality issues. MLAs who vote for my amendment will effectively be demanding action to end what is, in practice, the systematic undervaluing of women's work in the sector. If my amendment is passed this evening — I trust that it will be — I trust that the Minister will return to the Assembly with a report that outlines how many classroom assistants have been moved on to permanent contracts since the debate; the pay structures and progression routes that have been established; and how workforce planning is being integrated with SEN reform.”
“Like others, I was heartened to see the Minister of Health in attendance for part of the debate, but that hope soon waned when he made his pointless point of order and then left, which told me all that I needed to know about his attitude to the subject. Tackling the issue requires cross-departmental planning to ensure that educational psychologists, speech and language therapists and paediatric referrals are available to support the children and the classroom assistants who work with them. The Department needs to design a progression framework for classroom assistants that is linked to accredited training and qualifications. That could include recognising existing skills, offering further professional development and creating promotion opportunities for the sector.”
“Thank you very much, Deputy Speaker. How do you follow that for a winding-up speech? <BR /> <BR />I certainly welcome the warm words for and recognition of classroom assistants and the vital role that they play. Walking through the Lobbies to call for it is one thing, but delivering real change for the sector is another. The Department needs to address the issue of job security urgently. Finishing work in June, not knowing whether there will be a job for you when school returns in September, is simply not good enough. Secure contracts, fair pay, progression routes and more stable SEN funding are required to deliver the change that is needed. <BR /> <BR />The motion and my amendment highlight the need for cooperation with the Department of Health.”
“Our classroom assistants are asking for what is fair and reasonable: job security, fair and consistent pay, accredited training and defined career progression. Those are not luxuries but are essential for effective SEN provision. Supporting them is inseparable from supporting the children. I commend the amendment to the House.”
“Those highly skilled, dedicated, professional ladies must be properly valued and given the stability that they deserve.”
“Supporting classroom assistants, therefore, is a matter of fairness, justice and equality for women in the workforce.”
“A workforce that is insecure, overworked or undervalued cannot provide the stability and consistency that children with SEN need. High turnover and low morale risk the quality of education and the well-being of the vulnerable children in their care. Repeatedly leaving classroom assistants, who are recognised as invaluable members of the school's educational team, without any guarantee, when the school year ends in June, that they will have a job in September is not a situation that would be tolerated in any other field of employment. <BR /> <BR />Tellingly, it is a gender issue too. 'A profile of Classroom Assistants in Northern Ireland', which was produced last year by Ulster University, revealed that 96% of classroom assistants are female.”
“They support children with challenging behaviours, those with emotional regulation issues and those who require personal care. Often, support with learning is individualised to meet the needs of the pupil in the classroom assistant's care. My goodness, they often go far and beyond their official duties by becoming a vital part of the classroom experience for all the pupils who are there. <BR /> <BR />Despite their value, those staff face systematic disadvantages. Around 68% of classroom assistants are on temporary contracts, many of them for multiple years. Nearly 14,000 classroom assistants are employed on such insecure terms due to fragile SEN funding arrangements. As we heard, surveys show that 82% feel that they are not fairly paid and that 87% support clear career pathways that are tied to training and experience.”
“Urgent attention from an educational psychologist is required so that those children can access the preschool education that everyone is entitled to. The questions from the principal are these: who covers the toilet breaks in her nursery class, and who provides consistent support for children with complex needs? I want to leave those questions with the Education Minister. I hope and trust that he will come back on them. <BR /> <BR />The motion rightly draws attention to the lack of strategic planning, the number of unplaced children at the start of this academic year and the urgent need for clarity on the implementation of a SEN reform agenda, but let us be clear: none of those reforms can succeed without the dedication of the classroom assistants who work daily with children with SEN.”
“The issues were those that I attempted to raise during Question Time. The North Antrim primary school to which I refer has a nursery of 26 children. The children are supported, from 9.00 am to 1.30 pm, by two members of staff, one of whom is six months pregnant. Out of those 26 children, two await ASD assessments and require one-to-one support. Those children were referred to paediatrics by their health visitor and still have not been seen. That is alongside a plethora of other needs among this year's intake, such as behavioural problems, medical issues and toileting concerns. In the current set-up, those children cannot safely access their nursery education. The health and safety implications are profound.”
“Thank you very much, Deputy Speaker. The Assembly has before it a motion highlighting the ongoing crisis in special educational needs provision, and I commend the Alliance Party for bringing it to the House. It is timely, given that it is the start of another school year. The issue has received quite a bit of focus in the press, but I trust that the debate will result in changes that will be well embedded ahead of next year's commencement. <BR /> <BR />Members, the crisis is real. Children with special educational needs, their parents and the staff who support them face daily challenges. Before the debate, I was contacted by a primary-school principal, who rang the preschool standardisation programme helpline only to be told that there was no money in the budget to address the issues that she highlighted.”