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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“There is now an opportunity for her and her party to do something about it other than to simply issue a statement. The only question is this: will the DUP and Ulster Unionist Members demand equality for our community, or will they roll over to Sinn Féin? I trust that unionism will take a stand on the issue and will sign the petition to stop the solo run by the Infrastructure Minister.”
“The Minister clearly had no thought of the need for consultation or an equality screening. She has chosen to impose her will without so much as consulting her Executive colleagues, it would appear. Therefore, this morning I have lodged a petition in the Business Office to refer Minister Kimmins's decision to the Executive for a cross-community vote. Every Member of the Chamber who believes that Minister Kimmins's divisive decision should be opposed will add their name to that petition accordingly. <BR /> <BR />The power to stop the Minister's plans to weaponise Irish in the signage at Belfast Grand Central station and on all Translink ticket vending machines lies in the hands of MLAs. I note that the DUP infrastructure spokesman has questioned the cost and has challenged Sinn Féin on its misguided priorities.”
“Yesterday in the House, I asked the Minister for Infrastructure for an assurance that she would commit to undertaking a consultation and equality screening exercise before taking any decision on the installation of Irish language signs at Belfast Grand Central station. Far from providing the assurance that I sought, the Minister informed the Assembly that she had:”
“With the Trump Administration withdrawing from the Paris Accord, it is time for even the eco-fanatics to face up to the truth: we should not damage our economy by chasing the unicorn of our wee country having an impact on global temperatures. It will be negligible.”
“Why is Northern Ireland so keen to appoint a climate change commissioner, with a £1 million per annum budget and 15 staff, ahead of any other region of the UK? <BR /> <BR />This is utter madness: committing that public money 25 years from our commitment to net zero is not the best use of public money. Let us say that one accepts the premise that man-made climate change is taking place. If one believes that it is happening, would anyone argue that the impact of Northern Ireland on the world's temperatures is not negligible? Let us look at China. As of 2019, that country's greenhouse gas emissions exceeded the combined emissions of the developed world. Happy to provide everyone else with solar panels, it is not interested in using any of them itself.”
“I have deep concerns about its call for an upscaling of offshore renewable energy production. Should the Scottish Government's plans for a massive offshore wind farm go ahead, there is a real possibility that the beautiful view from one of the jewels of natural beauty of my constituency will be destroyed. Do we really want to pass a motion in the House that would give succour to those who want to construct a forest of wind turbines spoiling the view from the Giant's Causeway? I certainly do not. <BR /> <BR />The whole premise of green energy transition is flawed. I say that because there are fundamental, basic questions that no one can answer. Can you provide any data on the impact on global temperatures if Northern Ireland goes net zero? What about the whole of the UK?”
“The motion should cause anyone who supports it or, indeed, the amendments in the Order Paper to pause for thought. I say that because the record of this place is anything but impressive when it comes to renewable energy. However, such is the madness of many to be seen to be in tune with the green lobby that the mere mention of buzzwords such as "renewables" will have them positively drooling at the prospect of being able to support it, regardless of any consequences. I remind the House that, in the past, that spirit saw Stormont pass the renewable heat incentive, which resulted in cash for ash for those who abused the scheme and, importantly, for those who did not abuse the scheme, the breaking of promises made to them by then Minister, now Baroness Foster. <BR /> <BR />I turn to the amendment from the Alliance Party.”
“On Friday, the Justice Minister responded to a question about that by saying that the target was approximately 7,000 officers and 2,500 staff via a five-year recovery plan that extends beyond the end of the mandate. On the basis of the deputy First Minister's misleading comments in the House, I trust that you will require Mrs Little-Pengelly to return to the Chamber to correct the record.”
“On a point of order, Mr Speaker, I would like you to review the Hansard report of the deputy First Minister's comments to me during the Programme for Government debate on 3 March, when she claimed that, in the Programme for Government:”
“Will the Minister assure us today that there will be no return to discrimination on the basis of 50:50 recruitment?”
“The Minister comes from a party that once described every word spoken in Irish as another bullet in the freedom struggle. Why is she abusing her position to fire cultural bullets in a loyalist heartland in Belfast?”
“The current service is therefore not fit for purpose, and people are dying as a result. The system has serious issues, and one of them is the unions' approach, which needs to change and change today.”
“Whiteabbey had one ambulance, which was outside the ED for six hours and four minutes. <BR /> <BR />We have already been told that 120 hours were lost in that single day owing to turnaround times at EDs, but how many of us realised that, in the final hour of a shift, because of the current union action, no ambulances are assigned? How many hours are being lost each day as a result of strike action by the unions? When pressed specifically on whether the ambulance crew that was sitting in the Ballymena dispatch area at the time of the first call were members of a union, the Ambulance Service could not tell us, as it does not know and does not ask its staff. To make matters worse, any crews in an ambulance dispatch area during the final hour of their shift are not even made aware that a category 2 call has come in.”
“One of them was sitting outside Antrim ED for five hours and 30 minutes, while the other was parked up in the station and due to be manned by only one person from 4.00 pm. It could respond to category 1 calls only. Ballymena had four ambulances. Two were sitting outside the ED for 50 minutes and four hours and 26 minutes respectively. One was at the scene of a call, while the fourth ambulance was sitting in the station. Antrim had two ambulances. Both were sitting outside the ED for six hours and 15 minutes and five hours and 15 minutes respectively. Magherafelt had two ambulances, both of which were sitting in the dispatch area. Larne had one ambulance, which was also parked in the dispatch area. Carrickfergus had two ambulances. One was at the scene of a call, while the other was parked up in the dispatch area.”
“<BR /> <BR />Last Wednesday night, I attended a meeting with the Darragh family to seek answers from the Ambulance Service. We were told that there is a target time for category 1 calls — eight minutes — but that the average response time on that day was 14 minutes and 43 seconds. A category 2 call has a target time of 18 minutes but that the average response time on that day was 60 minutes. Crucially for that family, we were also told that a category 2 call is not assigned to a crew that is in the final hour of its shift. Members, that is as a result of the action short of strike that Unite and NIPSA are taking over the waiting times outside EDs that is causing staff not to finish within a reasonable time at the end of their shift. <BR /> <BR />What were the 14 operational ambulances doing at 7.05 pm? Coleraine had two ambulances.”
“Willy was assigned as a category 2 call, as he was suspected of having a heart attack and was breathing. Whilst travelling to Antrim, Willy's condition deteriorated, and he had a cardiac arrest. Caroline had to find somewhere to pull over and to get help from a passing driver, as she could not get her husband out of the car on her own to start CPR. Caroline called 999 again at 7.35 pm, and an ambulance arrived at 7.40 pm, because that call was classed as category 1, as Willy was now not breathing. Sadly, Willy passed away, lying in a wet lay-by 10 minutes from the hospital. Ms Ennis asked what happens if a patient takes a heart attack on a trolley in a hospital, but what happens to a patient who is in a car and takes a heart attack on his way to hospital?”
“My remarks on ambulance handovers will focus on the Northern Trust, particularly on events on 21 December 2024. On that evening, 14 ambulances were servicing the largest trust, being dispatched to locations in Coleraine, Ballymena, Antrim, Magherafelt, Larne, Carrickfergus and Whiteabbey. On that day, 120 working hours were lost because ambulances were sitting outside EDs. That accounted for a quarter of the entire service capacity for that trust. <BR /> <BR />Allow me to cite the impact of delays on the Darragh family in my constituency. At 7.05 pm, Willy, who had previous heart problems, took chest pains whilst in his house just outside Cullybackey. His wife, Caroline, rang 999 and was told that no ambulances were available and that she needed to take him to the Antrim ED, which was approximately 25 minutes away.”
“On a number of occasions, I have raised in the House the fact that the First Minister and deputy First Minister failed to answer a question about the cost of their trip to Washington in 2024. On Friday, the answer that £54,000 of public money was blown in just four days was revealed. However, as today's 'Belfast Telegraph' shows, the data was released to a journalist — on the same day as it was released to me — only because the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) got involved. Surely that situation is not acceptable. MLAs should be able to get answers to questions without having to go to the ICO.”
“On a point of order, Mr Speaker. I draw to your attention again the issue that I raised during Members' statements last week regarding the Executive Office. In response to a point of order from the Member for North Belfast Mr Phillip Brett on 18 February, you said:”
“Shame on Michelle O'Neill and Emma Little-Pengelly. Now we know why the question went unanswered for so long.”
“Indeed, many of them would not bring in even a fraction of £54,000 into their household in a year.”
“<BR /> <BR />We now know that, over the course of four days, the Executive Office spent an eye-watering £54,000 of public money: £38,000 on travel, £13,000 on accommodation and £3,000 on other expenses. Each Minister travelled with a special adviser, their private secretary and their press officer. Oh, this is the best bit: they also brought a photographer with them to catch their special moments together. Members, what a waste of money. It is, frankly, obscene to spend £54,000 of taxpayers' money in four days and then come to the House time and time again to lament the fact that there is no money for vital services. It is, simply, outrageous. The vast majority of my constituents could not dream of spending such a sum of money, even after many years of saving.”
“I used a previous Member's statement to draw attention to the fact that the First Minister and deputy First Minister have been sitting on an answer to a question originally tabled by my predecessor and then tabled again by me when I was co-opted into the House. The question was simple and, indeed, factual; it was to establish how much public money the First Minister and deputy First Minister spent on their trip to Washington in March 2024. On Friday, I finally received the answer. Tellingly, it was after the Information Commissioner stepped in and instructed the Ministers to respond to an FOI request submitted by Adrian Rutherford from the 'Belfast Telegraph'.”
“Further to Mr Buckley's supplementary question and the non-answer that he got, what is the First Minister's take on a biological man beating up a woman in the boxing ring because he claims to be a woman?”
“The motion is a Trojan Horse. The amendment is wrong-headed, as it carries all the hallmarks of coming from those taken in by the Trojan Horse. <BR /> <BR />The commitment in the Programme for Government to develop a strategy is wrong and should never have been made. The Irish language community has Sinn Féin to thank for it being a chill factor to unionism.”
“Lots of people pushing it like to talk about equality, but the truth is that, when it comes to equality for the Irish language, it is the Gerry Adams version of equality that many aspire to. Apologies for the unparliamentary language, but it is important to quote Mr Adams accurately:”
“Forcing it in areas, as has happened in Belfast and will, doubtless, happen more widely, now that the DUP has agreed to set the wheels in motion for the appointment of an Irish language commissioner, is regressive and will result in a more polarised society. <BR /> <BR />People who do not regard Irish as part of their culture, such as me and the people whom I represent, have no difficulty with the language being cherished by those who appreciate it. Equally, resisting its aggressive promotion in places where it is not wanted does not make them bigots. The truth is that Irish can be and is used as a cultural weapon, which will result in a more divided and polarised society.”
“The responses from different unionist party supporters were very similar. For DUP voters, it was 89%; for TUV voters, it was 86%; and, for Ulster Unionist voters, it was 84%. <BR /> <BR />The third question related to council-run leisure centres. People were asked whether their leisure centre having Irish signage would make them more or less likely to use the facility or make no difference. Some 75% of unionists and 69% of Protestants said that Irish signage would make them less likely to use the leisure centre. <BR /> <BR />The reality is that, while the Irish language is appreciated and celebrated by some, it has a significant chill factor for many others.”
“<BR /> <BR />The first question asked people what their reaction would be if the local council were to put Irish-language street signs on the road where they live. Respondents were asked whether that would make them more likely to move or less likely to move or make no difference. Some 71% of those who voted for a unionist party and 63% of those identifying as Protestant said that it would make them more likely to move. For TUV voters, the figure was 84%; for DUP voters, it was 71%; and, for UUP voters, it was 57%. <BR /> <BR />The second question asked respondents whether, if a road had Irish-language street signs, that would make them more likely to move there or less likely to move there or make no difference. Some 88% of unionist voters and 82% of Protestants said that they were less likely to move there.”
“I oppose the motion and the amendment. I will do so in the knowledge that my words and actions in the House today have the support of the unionist community not just in North Antrim but across Northern Ireland. I say that so confidently because of polling that was commissioned by Analogical Research, a not-for-profit initiative. I am grateful to Analogical Research for permission to share the findings with Members. The polling, which was conducted by LucidTalk, was carried out last month and sought to establish whether there was a chill factor among unionists and Protestants when Irish language signage is erected. Unlike much of the polling on the issue, the questions asked were simple and straightforward and were designed not to get answers that could be spun but to get to the truth. The poll had a representative sample of 1,050 people.”
“While the Prime Minister has been clear that he would like to see a trade deal between the UK and the US, it is likely that Northern Ireland will be excluded from important parts of any such agreement. It is therefore more than probable that we will find ourselves excluded from the opportunities that such a deal would present because of the protocol, which means that we are left stranded in the EU customs union and the single market for goods. That is not only a scandal as far as sovereignty is concerned; it will reduce the size of the market available for the United States in the event of a trade agreement with the Trump Administration.”
“I trust that, in those meetings, they presented the case for Northern Ireland when it comes to the protocol. The president has correctly identified that, when it comes to international trade, the European Union is a protectionist racket that seeks to take advantage of everyone outside its borders. It would not have taken a genius to work out, therefore, that one would have had a sympathetic ear in the White House when it came to the protocol, and, for that very reason, it was important that unionism attended those events.”
“Since the House last met, some of our unionist Members have had the opportunity to meet President Trump.”
“The Omagh bomb relatives deserve truth and justice from the Irish Republic, and so do the relatives and families of the 550 to 570 people whose murders were carried out with a cross-border element.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Chairman of the Executive Office Committee quoted Kenny Donaldson, who made the point that, on the basis of research, there are between 550 and 570 killings that have a cross-border element. He added that, chillingly, victims of republican terror in border areas are, effectively, stateless when it comes to justice. To put it bluntly, Dublin does not care, and London does not want to rock the boat. Frankly, it is sickening that the Irish Republic, where the majority of republican attacks were planned, is the place from which incidents such as the Narrow Water ambush were executed and to which killers fled for sanctuary. The Irish Government continue to wash their hands of their role in the years of IRA terror while all the time presuming to pass judgement on the UK state.”
“There was not much cherishing of children when, in 1988, the Hanna family — Maureen, Robin and their six-year-old son David — were blown up outside Newry when returning from Disneyland via Dublin Airport because the IRA said at the time that it had the wrong description of a car. Who gave them that description? It was suggested at the time that the information came from the gardaí. However, to this day, Dublin has resisted demands that it come clean. When Smithwick concluded that he was satisfied that there was collusion in the murders of RUC officers Harry Breen and Bob Buchanan, there should have been a wider investigation of the links between the gardaí and the IRA. There has never been one.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is worth touching on the fact that, because the Irish constitution enshrined the aspiration of a 32-county republic, it was frequently and successfully deployed by terrorists who fought extradition to face justice for crimes here in Northern Ireland. The facts could not be clearer: between 1973 and 1997, there were 110 requests for extradition from the Republic of Ireland by the UK. Of those, just eight were successful. There has never been an investigation by the Irish Republic into how it operated as a safe haven for terrorists. There has never been any regard for the lives of the people of Northern Ireland who were murdered by IRA bombs. All of that was in the name of the 1916 proclamation, which claimed to cherish:”
“It contains many interesting facts and statistics, but I will highlight just one: a table obtained from the National Archives of Ireland containing stats supplied by the British Embassy in Dublin showing that, between 1976 and 1984, between 66% and 100% of the commercial explosive finds in Northern Ireland were manufactured exclusively by Irish Industrial Explosives Ltd. In 1976 alone, over 540 kg of Irish industrial explosives were discovered in Northern Ireland, accounting for almost 90% of the total that year. The Irish Republic has never answered questions as to why explosives from its jurisdiction ended up in the hands of republican terrorists in Northern Ireland and were deployed to murder and maim people with whom its constitution claims it wants to unite "in harmony and friendship".”
“I commend the Ulster Unionist Party for bringing this important motion to the House. It is particularly pertinent that these matters should be raised on 11 March, which is a day on which people across Europe pause to remember the innocent victims of terrorism. <BR /> <BR />The record of the Irish Republic when it comes to legacy is quite sickening. To date, it has sat back and acted as some sort of independent party that can equality-proof proposals from the UK Government. The reality is that, throughout the 30 years of terror, the Irish Republic was very much an active participant. I mentioned that today is innocent victims of terrorism day. Yesterday, I held an event to mark the occasion. Afterwards, a member of the public passed a member of my staff a booklet entitled 'Newry and a Border between "Truth & Justice"'.”
“Will the Minister spell out to the House why we do not suspend movements of animals from all of Hungary and Germany as we have from Great Britain and explain how the protocol prevents such action?”
“Minister, your statement tells us that animals from foot-and-mouth disease-affected areas in Hungary and Germany are prevented from entering NI. However, when it comes to bluetongue, you say:”
“More wastage is what the Minister orders. Some of that money was spent on membership fees for the discredited Stonewall's Allies programme, which is used to push gender ideology. Why is taxpayers' money being wasted on that nonsense, years after the Civil Service and even the BBC recognised the need to withdraw from the scheme?”
“Following on from the Minister's comments that LPS will work with ratepayers, I have a case at the minute where the time frame given to the constituent to pay off their rates bill simply is not long enough for them to afford to pay it off. Will the Minister give a commitment that, where there are circumstances in which financial pressures dictate that people cannot make the payment within four years, six years or eight years, LPS will grant a longer period to pay off debt? It is more important to get the rate payment than to take ratepayers to court, only for them to default because they cannot make the rate payment.”
“I do not expect that anyone from the southern side of the border will have raised this issue, but did either Mr Nesbitt or the Infrastructure Minister raise the fact that the Grand Central station project has resulted in a 40% reduction in the takings of businesses in Sandy Row? Is there any prospect of financial assistance for them from the Shared Island Fund?”
“I join other Members in welcoming the statement. It is full of positive language and will require significant investment in the EA and in schools. <BR /> <BR />Minister, is the ministerial advisory panel's work time-limited? When will schools start to see access to the additional support and personal development for principals and teaching staff that is promised in your statement?”
“Oh yes, a secretariat is provided, but even that is made up of staff provided by the protocol fanatics in the NIO. If that was the token gesture on offer to restore Stormont, one would have to ask the DUP why it accepted such a weak body, but, in truth, we all know the answer: in its rush to return to a protocol-implementing Stormont, all the DUP was interested in was something of spin, not something of any real substance.”
“Last week, during the debate on the Programme for Government, I contrasted the two bodies mentioned on page 85 of that document, namely InterTradeIreland and Intertrade UK. I highlighted the fact that InterTradeIreland has a budget of over £6·4 million awarded to it from the Stormont Budget. I could have added that the Food Safety Promotion Board, a body that, the last time that my party checked, did not employ a single person in Northern Ireland, got over £2·4 million from the same Budget. Intertrade UK, by contrast, did not get a single penny from this place. We have since learned that it gets precious little from anywhere. The board members of Intertrade UK — there have been some good appointments — are not even being paid. Intertrade UK has no offices and no staff.”
“Two individuals were later convicted and sentenced, but, as a result of the immoral Belfast Agreement, they served only a minimum of four years and a maximum of eight years for their heinous crimes. If you use the Belfast Agreement as a yardstick by which things should be judged, you are only ever going to go further down the moral sewer when it comes to paramilitaries. Whilst I have concerns about where the substantive motion has come from, I will vote for it. I certainly will not vote for any of the amendments.”
“That assessment stated that the Provisional IRA retained an army council that oversaw the Provisional IRA and Sinn Féin with an overarching strategy. It retained departments with specific responsibilities and weapons that had not been decommissioned. If you believe that paramilitaries have no place in Northern Ireland, what are you doing in a coalition with a party overseen by the so-called army council of the most murderous terrorist group in western Europe? Whether you like it or not, the Chamber and these institutions operate under what Seán O'Casey would describe as 'The Shadow of a Gunman'. <BR /> <BR />One of the testimonies that we heard this morning was from Colette Murray. As I said, her brother was murdered by the UVF. Unlike many victims, Colette saw men stand trial for that murder.”
“It is quite clear that the end point of such a process is the de-proscription of terror groups proposed by the Independent Reporting Commission. Such a move would result in the sickening spectacle of wicked murder gangs being able to openly glorify and celebrate their depraved exploits. That is somewhere that none of us should want to go. <BR /> <BR />While agreeing with the assessment of the Alliance Party, insofar as it goes, I have to point out the irony of it bringing a motion like this before the House whilst serving in an Executive alongside Sinn Féin, the party of no alternative. Does anyone remember why the Independent Reporting Commission exists? It was formed in 2015 after a paramilitary assessment by the Government in the aftermath of the Provisional IRA murder of Kevin McGuigan.”