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Ms Michelle O'Neill: Assembly records
All of Ms Michelle O'Neill’s imported questions, contributions and motions in this mandate, newest first, including those assessed as not flagged, uncertain or not yet analysed.
I do not want to see anybody's being abused. There are realities of our past and the many tragedies and injustices that happened here, but we all have a duty, particularly those of us who are elected, to be responsible in our public utterances and about what we hear and see around us. I certainly will not be found…
Yes, I concur. Unlike others, I do not look at it through one particular lens. I think that there were many tragedies and injustices in our past, and I think that we all have a duty to acknowledge that. In fact, the first stage in trying to heal is to recognise that people have different perspectives, different lived…
As I said in the original answer, there is no agreement. That is a matter for the British Government. It is their policy, and it is for them to protect their serving forces.
We will take one problem at a time. We have to work our way through this. The deputy First Minister may take her own position, but it is the will of this Assembly to bring forward legislation. We are going through the business case process and doing all the due diligence at this time. It is very clear that the Members…
The Member took the opportunity to set that out very clearly at the Committee, and I had no doubt that he was going to ask a similar question today. Instead of running away from the climate crisis — we do have a crisis — we need to do something about it. We need to find ways to work with our farmers and our business…
The Member represents a rural constituency so she will know from engagement with farm families that they want to play their part, and will play their part, but they want fairness, and they want support to adjust and transition towards playing their part. Our ambitious target of achieving net zero by 2050 is…
We have a difference of opinion on that. It is the will of the Assembly that we establish a Climate Commissioner. As I said, we are going through all the processes, including the business case, and carrying out the due diligence work that is required. The role of the commissioner will be really important for us. We…
The Northern Ireland Climate Commissioner Regulations 2025 were affirmed by the Assembly and made by the Executive Office on 8 April 2025. They came into force on 9 April 2025. The regulations provide the legal authority for TEO to appoint a Climate Commissioner. Since then, officials have been undertaking work to…
As I said, responsibility lies with the social media companies, but there needs to be firm, straight guidance in legislation that governs how they carry out their business and what they make available. In the first instance, the buck stops directly with the companies. Nobody should have a platform that allows you to…
That is a topical issue at the moment. As I said earlier, we hear reports about AI being used in schools. It is everywhere: AI is all around us. It is part of life, but responsibility in its use is important. We can talk a lot about individual responsibility, but we need to focus on the responsibility of the large…
I will not speak outside the confidence of the Executive. At different times, different Ministers will be frustrated at the pace at which they can get clearance. All Ministers circulate papers, and we have to come back with our feedback. There is no doubt that there are Ministers who are frustrated by the delays, but…
Where shall I start? That might be a better question. There are many challenges in delivering on the Programme for Government commitments, to be truthful and honest about it. However, we are committed to working together to try to deliver on the commitments that we set out. We want to do that with a multi-year Budget.…
My point about our unique circumstances is one that has to be highlighted continually. Over the weekend, Caoimhe Archibald, as the Economy Minister, wrote to the British Government and the Irish Government to rehearse that argument again. She has convened a meeting of her tariff working group, which looks at the…
I think that we are all aghast, and developments are coming thick and fast. It is another breach of international law and an attempt to snatch territory. It is deeply concerning. It is, quite frankly, shocking for the US to take an approach on trade to bully others into kowtowing to the position that it has adopted,…
I assure you that the legislation will come to the Floor of the Assembly. I could stand here all day and pick holes to do with delays involving DUP Ministers and other Ministers who have not been able to introduce legislation. Let us just focus on getting the thing done and on getting the most progressive piece of…
As the Member knows, I talked earlier about engaging with the Office of the Legislative Counsel. There are some challenges because of the amount of legislation that is coming forward and the challenge of drafting it. However, I am confident that the Minister will make her proposals and that we will debate them on the…
I am very accountable to the public. I stand before them at every election and ask them for their vote. I tell them what I am going to try to do with that mandate. We can, very confidently, stand over the fact we have achieved quite a lot the first two years of this Administration. Have we much more to do? Absolutely.…
I am very proud of my time in the Department of Health, and I was very proud to be the Minister who brought forward 'Health and Wellbeing 2026: Delivering Together', which was the response to the Bengoa report. That was the blueprint. Many of those recommendations have been implemented, and I commend that and much…
Some of those questions, such as on the amounts of money, will be answered further down the line. Those are policy decisions that we will have to take together. Suffice to say, however, that those people have been traumatised by their life experience. We now have the research in our hands. We met Lisa Caldwell, the…
We acknowledge the devastating impact of clerical child abuse and express our deepest sympathy to all victims and survivors of that terrible abuse. We have been carefully considering the research reports, and, as the Member will appreciate, it is an important, complex and sensitive issue. Throughout the process, the…
I thank the Member for the question. Yes, I absolutely agree. It makes common sense. The House has debated it, albeit not with agreement, but I think that it would greatly assist our local businesses if they had that type of access. We all know the damage that has come as a direct result of the post–Brexit world that…
I can say to the Member that I do not want to see any trade barriers erected. I want to seek to enhance our North/South and east–west trade. Where barriers exist, we should flag those and ask for pragmatism and solutions. Some of that has been forthcoming, and some has yet to be forthcoming, but changes are coming…
We have taken every opportunity to raise the issue of the removal of barriers to trade in the internal market, including at meetings of the Prime Minister and Heads of Devolved Governments Council, the Interministerial Standing Committee and the East-West Council. Representations have been made in the context of…
Yes, and I commend the Economy Minister for the work that she is doing. It is such ambitious legislation and is the most progressive workers' rights legislation that we have ever seen. She is going out and about and engaging with business organisations and representative bodies. It is all about listening, engaging and…