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.”
The complete record
Every one of 2,236 lines we hold for Timothy Gaston, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 42 of 45.
“Sunday was the 17th anniversary of the murder of Paul Quinn. Let me remind the House, which is apt to forget or ignore such things, what happened to Mr Quinn. After luring him to a farm just across the border in County Monaghan, where three of his friends were being held hostage, a group of around 10 men beat him with iron and nail-studded bars for upwards of half an hour, breaking every major bone in his body. In the aftermath of the murder, Conor Murphy defamed that young man, making accusations that he has not withdrawn to this day. No one seriously believes that anyone other than the IRA was responsible for that brutal murder, yet Stormont continued regardless. <BR /> <BR />Last week, we had confirmation from the PSNI that the 2015 assessment of the Provisional IRA remains valid.”
“Since employment law is a devolved matter, no statutory carer's leave is available in Northern Ireland. That is an issue on which devolution has not delivered, as is the case on many other issues. More needs to be done to provide a greater level of respite. On that basis, I am supportive of the amendments.”
“That is a powerful testimony of a carer detailing their lived experience. In the short time that that group has been running, it has provided valuable support and a space for local carers to come together to share their experiences and make friendships. I wish to encourage Donna, her mum, Doreen Armstrong, and Christine O'Brien who provide that opportunity locally. I trust that, in the future, the trust could support that carers' coffee club to allow the support network to be replicated in other areas across Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />In closing, and going back to the motion, I draw Members' attention to the fact that the United Kingdom's Carer's Leave Act 2023 provides for one week's unpaid leave for adults with caring responsibilities in England, Scotland and Wales.”
“<BR /> <BR />The charity Carers UK recently conducted a survey that revealed some stark statistics: 82% of carers — an increase from 77% from the previous year — said that the impact of caring on their physical and mental health would be a challenge over the coming year; 79% felt stressed or anxious; half felt depressed; half felt lonely; and almost three quarters said that they continue providing care even though they feel that they are at breaking point. <BR /> <BR />I take this opportunity to highlight and encourage someone in my constituency who is a carer for her husband and child. Donna Bryce launched a carers' coffee club in Ballymena for carers living locally who know the daily struggles of being a carer, as highlighted in the Carers UK survey. When setting up the group, Donna stated:”
“Carers put the welfare of a relative who is elderly, is sick or has special needs before their own welfare and, in many cases, care for more than one person in need. While there are Members who go off on holiday, even when the Assembly is sitting, the people whom we are talking about often give up opportunities to go away with friends or family so that they can care for the person, or people, to whom they have devoted their life.”
“The motion and the amendments rightly highlight the lack of respite provision for adults and children with learning difficulties, complex needs and challenging behaviours. In many cases, the lack of respite falls to unpaid carers. Considering that some 222,000 people in Northern Ireland — approximately 12% of our population — work as unpaid carers, this debate touches on issues that are of enormous significance to many people in our Province. While there are people of all ages involved in this work, I acknowledge that more than 3,000 children under the age of 15 are carers. In many of those cases, they are family members who have sacrificed their lives to care for a loved one.”
“Perhaps the Minister, in his response, will spell out what he is doing to get us to that point. <BR /> <BR />Finally, when the Minister is responding to that point, will he explain why the support offered by the Executive for childcare is £32 million less than the amount provided by Westminster? The Executive got £57·2 million in Barnett consequentials because of a scheme introduced in Great Britain, yet that four-party Executive, of which the Minister is part, allocated only £25 million to childcare. Where, Minister, did that money go? Did it stay in your Department, or did it go to other challenges in other Ministers' budgets?”
“Imagine how much more difficult that was when speech therapists were trying to pick up the subtle nuances in speech that indicate a problem. I remind the House that speech and hearing issues often go hand in hand. In a case that I was told about over the weekend, I was advised that the child has since been issued with a hearing aid. However, the child is not in P1 or even P2 but P5. Also, that hearing issue is a continuing factor in the literacy issues with which that child now struggles. <BR /> <BR />Secondly, I want to highlight the evidence of how Northern Ireland is falling behind the rest of the UK. In advance of the debate, all Members will have received a copy of the manifesto of the Coalition on Deafness NI. As a basic demand, the manifesto states:”
“Some contributions to the debate focused on the role of specialist teachers for deaf children, but we should not forget the vital role that teachers with no such training play in identifying such issues. <BR /> <BR />That having been said, even when a teacher has highlighted a possible problem, there is often an inordinate delay in the pupil getting an appointment in the health service. When it comes to those crucial early years in school in particular, such a delay can have profoundly negative consequences for the child. Those challenges were exacerbated during COVID. One parent described to me the extremely frustrating experience of attempting to attend speech therapy appointments over Zoom. At the best of times, it can be challenging to hear someone on the other end of the line.”
“Northern Ireland is failing to give those children the right support, and I will highlight three reasons for why I say that. <BR /> <BR />The first is the fact that it is often the school that identifies that a pupil may have a hearing problem. If a child is slow to respond when called at home or does not carry out an instruction, that can often be associated with disobedience or, if the parent is more charitable, selective hearing. Often, it is only when that child gets into a school environment that the teacher, who has experience of dealing with children with a wide range of abilities and challenges, will say to the parents that they should consider having the child's hearing checked.”
“Like others, I welcome the motion and the opportunity to highlight the challenges faced by deaf children and their families. In preparing for the debate, I read the deaf-friendly schools guidance produced by the Department of Education, which states.”
“While the proposal today will increase allowances in the interim, the important point is that it is another step towards the closure of the scheme. For that reason, I will oppose the proposal. <BR /> <BR />It is time for the Finance Minister to come back to the House with a proposal that recognises the damage that Stormont's handling of the RHI scheme has done to the industry and to the mental health of many of the participants who took up the offer on the basis of what they were being sold by Stormont.”
“We hear much chat about a settlement figure. I trust that the Minister, in his response, will provide clarity on what my constituents want to know: what percentage payment will be given per boiler, what is that payment including the cost to install the infrastructure, and is that what the settlement figure contains? The Minister needs to be very clear. Is the settlement figure at the end of this a percentage per boiler, a percentage per boiler plus the cost to install the infrastructure or a percentage of the total cost to the applicant to install an RHI boiler on their premises? <BR /> <BR />As we have heard today, the Committee is frustrated and has not been given all the requested information in a timely manner, which points me to the fact that Stormont and the Minister have not learned the lessons from RHI.”
“Consequently, many farmers invested heavily on the back of the promise of a 12% per annum return. They then found that the Assembly, in its desire to wash its hands of RHI, had decided to reduce the tariffs to a level below that which was sustainable and below that which exists in Great Britain and the Republic, leaving many on the brink of financial ruin. Some of those people are my constituents, and they have not been treated fairly. <BR /> <BR />Meanwhile, the Department was annually receiving money from the Treasury for the scheme, which it did not spend and returned each year. A five-month uplift does not resolve the disaster that was the RHI scheme. Rather, it compounds the problems and opens up another scandal around how any decision taken today by the Minister will impact on ordinary hard-working people.”
“In the midst of all the scandal that swirled around the RHI scheme, it is easy to forget that there were many genuine farmers who applied to it on the basis of a guaranteed return for 20 years. Those folk were not out to make a quick buck or take advantage of the flaws in the scheme, for which they cannot be held responsible. There were applicants who took at face value what Stormont offered them: the promise of grandfathering and letters from the then Minister, now Baroness Foster, to banks that encouraged lending to applicants to the scheme. It was not the fault of the genuine applicants to the scheme that the GB scheme was amended to impose a cap on subsidy payments. Let us not forget that it was that flaw that allowed the serious abuse of the scheme, where the more heat you generated, the greater the subsidy you were paid.”
“— mean you have calculated that, like so often before, you will get away with it?”
“Is it not the truth that, given the remit of your office, you have lost all credibility, or does the fact that, with all other unionists in this Chamber seemingly having confidence in you to hold office —”
“First Minister, the last time that you came before the Executive Committee, you told us that you did not see Michael McMonagle at an event in this Building on 14 February, even though photographs emerged a few days later showing that you were within feet of him. You told us that you did not engage with the British Heart Foundation on that day. Photographs later emerged, after a few days, showing that you had had conversations with Fearghal McKinney. When I asked you a question in this place about when the next Sinn Féin paedophile scandal would hit the party, you would not answer . Now we know why.”
“Minister, classroom assistants play a vital role in the education of many children, yet they merit no mention in your statement, and your Department's response to the review talks merely about reducing their number. What will you do for that vital sector of the education community, particularly for their security of employment and proper pay, an issue identified in paragraph 1.35 of volume 2 of the 'Independent Review of Education in Northern Ireland'?”
“<BR /> <BR />Housing associations are making some progress locally, but the projected number of builds lags well behind the number of houses required. With rent at an all-time high and no real long-term security for tenants, coupled with a greater reliance on co-ownership for people buying houses, the need has never been greater to see a change in gear in how the Housing Executive provides and allocates houses. The need will continue to grow, and, without serious investment, homelessness will continue to be a growing problem in Northern Ireland.”
“The Housing Executive confirms that, although there is overcrowding, it will consider overcrowding for homelessness under "Accommodation not reasonable" only when there is severe overcrowding of properties. In the case that I mentioned, the family are deemed to be one bedroom short and have to make do with 10 points for overcrowding, owing to there being no exceptional circumstances, and four points for having been on the waiting list for four years. The Housing Executive will not extend the house or sell it to the family to allow them to extend it themselves. If the Housing Executive were to attach a greater priority to good house management, that family would have a better chance of being rehoused whilst another case, for someone needing to downsize, would be resolved.”
“Given the limitations of the sewerage infrastructure, if there were now a desire to replace the houses, it would simply not be feasible to do so without an on-site solution, first, to separate rainwater from waste water and, secondly, to deal with it. <BR /> <BR />Before leaving the subject of the Housing Executive, I highlight the need for an overhaul of how houses are allocated. The points system is out of date and fails growing families and single adults. A greater priority needs to be given to allocations made under good house management practices. Where applicable, that will allow two cases to be resolved under one move. I think of a case that I have in Bendooragh, where a family with three children, all over the age of nine, are crammed into a two-bedroom house, thanks to an award of a mere 14 points.”
“<BR /> <BR />I will concentrate my remarks on issues that I have with the Housing Executive. I must say that housing casework is the most frustrating of casework. Finding a solution is largely outside our control, apart from ensuring that a constituent has the maximum number of points. Those employed locally by the Housing Executive are a credit to the organisation, but the fact is that there are simply not enough houses to match the ever-growing demand for social housing. Take Ballymena, for example. Over the past 20 to 30 years, the Housing Executive has demolished hundreds of houses in Ballykeel, in Ballee and on the Doury Road. Sadly, those houses have not been replaced, and the lands have been turned into grassed areas.”
“During my 11 years of involvement in politics, at local government level and now in central government, housing has been by far the number-one issue that I have encountered. Housing availability in North Antrim has been at a critical level for a number of years, as there are simply not enough houses being built to match the growing demand. As well as having a growing and ageing population, my constituency has a number of thriving industries that attract people to come there to work. The natural progression for those people is for their family to relocate to the area. All those factors have played into the problem in North Antrim. The position has grown to be a Northern Ireland-wide problem that is exacerbated by our sewerage network's limited capacity for new builds.”
“<BR /> <BR />The House is in no position to lecture on the harm of paramilitarism when its very existence is evidence that, for some, violence pays.”
“I remind the House that, due to the perverse Belfast Agreement, the Executive are led by someone who tells us that there was no alternative to IRA terror; no alternative to the murders of Cecil Cunningham and John Haslett, two RUC officers murdered by the IRA 53 years ago today; no alternative to the murder of Herbert Kernaghan, an off-duty UDR man who was shot in front of children as young as six years old while delivering fruit and vegetables to a primary school in Rosslea 45 years ago today; no alternative to the murder of 22-year-old soldier Alan Stock, killed 41 years ago today by IRA terrorists hiding behind a tombstone at the end of a command wire; and no alternative to the murder of RUC dog handler Samuel Todd, who died 34 years ago today, a few days after being shot by the IRA.”
“That is the reality of the fear that the IRA continues to engender in Northern Ireland right up to the present day, yet the motion calls on the First Minister to introduce a comprehensive review of the tackling paramilitarism programme. Ach, come on.”
“However, we do not have to go back to 2020 to find reports that point out the continuing role of the Provos in Northern Ireland. I note that the Executive Office was not present, just a few weeks ago, at the launch of a report entitled '"When you know what they are capable of": Paramilitary-related Gendered Coercive Control' by Aisling Swaine, produced by Foyle Women's Aid. The Justice Minister thought that it was important enough to be there, but the First Minister did not. I wonder whether that was because the contents of the report left the "First Minister for all" feeling uncomfortable. I wonder whether the First Minister has read the report. <BR /> <BR />Consider the contents of pages 24 and 25 of that document:”
“Really? I remind the House that, on 20 October 2015, an assessment on paramilitary groups was published by the NIO. That report was commissioned in the aftermath of the Provisional IRA murder of Kevin McGuigan. It made clear that the IRA retained an army council, which, members believed, oversaw both the PIRA and Sinn Féin with an overarching strategy, retained departments with specific responsibilities and still had weapons that had not been decommissioned. Where is the democratic mandate of the army council that oversees the lead party of government? <BR /> <BR />In February 2020, the PSNI reconfirmed that it still believes that the Provisional IRA army council oversees the IRA and Sinn Féin. That statement was echoed by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris.”
“I feel the need to remind the House that if we are going to talk about the ongoing presence of paramilitary organisations, we need to address the elephant in the room, which is the IRA army council that oversees Sinn Féin. The motion, which, I believe, was written with the best of intentions, is calling on the First Minister and her deputy:”
“Peter Robinson stepped aside when scandal swirled around him. Arlene, now Baroness Foster, was forced from office over the renewable heat incentive (RHI) scandal. Will the First Minister step aside —”
“When he spread dangerous misinformation about the duty of employers when it comes to paedophiles, where were the demands for his ministerial head? <BR /> <BR />The Sinn Féin Member for North Antrim, Mr Philip McGuigan, having signed off on Michael McMonagle's pass, did not immediately revoke it when the abuse came to light. In fact, it was cancelled only within the past number of days. My goodness: where is the accountability? Where in the House are the genuine concerns for safeguarding issues? A few days ago, I stood in the Chamber and addressed primary-school children who were here on a visit. Does that not chill every decent-thinking Member in the Chamber? The question is this: what will we do about it? Am I wrong in my belief that it will just be swept under the carpet? There are interesting precedents.”
“<BR /> <BR />The First Minister's claim that she made when she was before the Executive Office Committee on Wednesday 2 October is simply not compatible — I cannot stress that enough — with the images that have since emerged in various newspapers. The First Minister's claim simply is not credible, and her reputation is in tatters. It is clear that there is an obvious desire on the part of some to sweep the issue under the carpet. Let us not forget that Minister Murphy is linked to the scandal as well. He sought to blame the British Heart Foundation for employing McMonagle without due diligence. We now know that the foundation contacted his party in August 2023. What did Minister Murphy's party tell the British Heart Foundation as it sought to do due diligence checks?”
“Two weeks ago, the First Minister became embroiled in the Michael McMonagle scandal. While the Dáil has found time for a debate on the issue today, MLAs in this Chamber had a mere 30 minutes to question the First Minister. Many of those questions remain unanswered and, indeed, need serious scrutiny. We heard plenty of sound and fury from the Benches to my right that day, but, a week later, the only motion that has been submitted on the issue — a motion of no confidence in the First Minister and the Economy Minister — sits in the Business Office with only a single signature on it. The truth is that, right across the Chamber, the parties have, once again, given Sinn Féin a bye ball. It appears, to date, that, for the vast majority of MLAs, child protection is secondary to protecting the institutions.”
“It can do that best not merely by agreeing the motion in the Order Paper but by the Minister making a commitment that will be reported in Hansard that he will soon bring forward a palliative care strategy.”
“Those coming to the end of their life need to know that they are loved and appreciated. There is a real risk that what is being discussed in the media and, soon, in the Commons could result in the work in the palliative care sector being devalued to the point where assisted suicide is seen not so much as a choice but an expectation. <BR /> <BR />While the Assembly will today hear many fine words about the Northern Ireland Children's Hospice, I want to make it clear that the invaluable work that it does is not just appreciated with a nod during a debate such as this but is recognised as an integral part of the whole health service in Northern Ireland. I trust that, today, the House will send a strong message of love and compassion for the children who, sadly, find themselves in need of hospice care.”
“<BR /> <BR />Without a doubt, the Health Minister will cite pressures on his budget, but the Department of Health is failing the whole hospice sector, including the Children's Hospice, not just when it comes to funding but on an even more basic level by failing to produce an up-to-date palliative care strategy. The production of a strategy does not require any great financial outlay. It does, however, show that the Department has a long-term vision and plan for the sector. <BR /> <BR />It is a sad reflection on the priorities of our society when there is a live debate about assisted suicide, yet those who care for people at the end of life are completely forgotten about. Will the Health Minister, when he is summing up today, confirm when he will publish an updated palliative care strategy?”
“Over the past four years, the annual event has raised an incredible £34,000, with last year's event raising over £13,000 alone. <BR /> <BR />I note with regret, however, the shortfall in statutory funding, which has failed to keep pace with inflation, as noted in the motion. I support the amendment, which is very much in line with the NHS's stated objective of providing a cradle-to-grave service for us all. In fact, without providing palliative care as a core Health and Social Care service, we cannot say that the NHS provides what its founders promised.”
“I begin by commending the Members who tabled this motion on a very important matter and, indeed, the Alliance Party for its sensible amendment. <BR /> <BR />The Northern Ireland Children's Hospice does vital work that is, sadly, often overlooked by this place. It is left to community, grassroots organisations to raise the money that is essential to keep it operating. I think, for example, of an event in which my party colleague Alderman Stewart McDonald is heavily involved in my constituency. In recent years, Stewart's beloved Ahoghill Thistle FC has run a gala ball in aid of the Children's Hospice. I will give this year's event a small plug: it will take place on 2 November in the Galgorm, and everyone here would be made very welcome.”
“In that context, I have no hesitation in voting for the annulment of the regulations, and I urge anyone who does not want to see Northern Ireland's place in the UK in jeopardy to do likewise. <BR /> <BR />If today's prayer of annulment is lost, it should act as a belated wake-up call to unionists in the House. This is, in a sense, a dry run for the vote that we will have in December. We know where Sinn Féin stands; we know where the SDLP stands; and we know where the rigorous implementers of the Alliance Party stand. They are all happy to vote the prayer down today, just as they will be when they take advantage of the first majoritarian vote in the Chamber in half a century to ride roughshod over unionists and dispense with the cross-community guarantees of the Belfast Agreement in the most significant vote in Northern Ireland's history.”
“Thus, the purpose of the regulations is to help alienate one part of the UK from another, and, that being the case, they are contrary to international law and, in particular, the UN Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Co-operation among States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, which insures against:”
“As I understand it, at present no one in Northern Ireland grows hops. The principal reason, therefore, for the regulations is to give DAERA the power to conduct checks on third-country hops entering Northern Ireland to ensure that they are compliant with EU rules on third-country hops entering the EU single market. <BR /> <BR />As part of the United Kingdom rather than the EU, we should be subject to UK rules on third-country hops imports, not those of the European Union. The regulations presumably make the rest of our country — England, Wales and Scotland — a third country in the same way as other Windsor framework legislation has done.”
“No reference was made to that in the consultation that was undertaken prior to validating the Order. That seems very odd, unless the Order was made on the basis of a UK-wide consultation, but why then validate it by reference to the two Northern Ireland consultations? Again, I would welcome the Minister's comments on that point when he makes his winding-up speech.”
“I would be grateful to the Minister if he can pick up on that point and address it in his response. <BR /> <BR />I also note that the Northern Ireland consultation that preceded that on the draft Order makes no reference to the UK Climate Change Act 2008. That Act is supposedly the basis on which the Order was drafted. It rather suggests, however, that the lead is being taken from the EU. The consultation document noted that the European Commission recently recommended a diesel emissions particulate number (PN) test for younger vehicles as an alternative to the current diesel smoke test. <BR /> <BR />Had there been a proper Northern Ireland consultation on the draft Order, it would have had to be done using the powers in the 2008 Act to create a UK-wide approach to zero-emissions vehicles.”
“Part 4 of the legislation references some assimilated EU law, which, unlike three other areas of law, we thankfully will now have control over. That having been said, I note that there is a cross reference to the Windsor framework, because emissions relate to product approval, which is a matter of EU law. Although the product approval provisions in the Windsor framework are not changed by the draft Order, they do relate to it. There could therefore in future be an issue with moving vehicles for sale from Great Britain to Northern Ireland if the EU emissions regime is different from that of the UK, because, notwithstanding UK emissions legislation applying, if one can sell only vehicles that meet EU emissions standards, it becomes debatable to what extent Northern Ireland's emissions regime is different from that of the EU.”
“Minister, I welcome the significant announcement of 1,000 jobs for Northern Ireland. I particularly welcome that 116 new jobs are coming to Ballymena. One of the most common complaints that I get from constituents is about the lack of a face-to-face service when they are dealing with those who administer benefits. Will you confirm whether any of the new jobs that are being created will increase face-to-face interactions with service users?”
“I encourage the Minister to work with Mid and East Antrim Borough Council as well as Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council to promote and highlight two of our great assets on the north coast: our world heritage sites, namely the Giant's Causeway and the newly designated Moravian settlement at Gracehill. Can the Minister assure me that both of those world heritage sites will be included as part of the promotional package and marketing campaign that he talks about for Royal Portrush?”
“Until the Executive and the Chamber take action on those matters, they cannot lecture anybody else.”
“Where I was getting to in this debate, Mr Deputy Speaker, was that, if the Executive and the Chamber are to have any shred of credibility on issues such as this, I encourage all Members to go to the Business Office and sign my motion of no confidence in the First Minister and Minister Murphy —.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I feel that this is very relevant to the topic, as I outlined at the start. If you allow me to continue, I will develop that further. <BR /> <BR />Where was the concern in the House yesterday, after I challenged the First Minister on when we can expect the party that brought us the Liam Adams scandal, the Máiría Cahill scandal, the Seamus Marley scandal and now the Michael McMonagle scandal to bring us another scandal? Where was the condemnation when the First Minister, on getting up to answer my question as to whether she could assure us that there will not be more paedophile scandals —.”