Debate contribution: Armed Forces Covenant and Armed Forces Bill
Debate contribution by Mrs Emma Little-Pengelly on .
- MLA
- Mrs Emma Little-Pengelly
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 5 October 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Armed Forces Covenant and Armed Forces Bill
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5774211
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Absolutely. What we hear from Sinn Féin time and time again is a demand for equality, but what does that look like? Equality has to be something that applies equally to everyone, but what we hear are Sinn Féin's demands for equality and then claims for exemptions for themselves. We saw it at Bobby Storey's funeral. We see it in their unlawful behaviour on the Garvaghy Road, and we have seen it time and time again. As I said, at the heart of the armed forces covenant is objective evidence that there is objective disadvantage for, for example, the children of serving armed forces personnel. For example, the criteria for a primary school may include that the child or family must live in the area for a sustained time or have a sibling in the school. If the family has been moved from one base to another, that is simply not possible. It is likewise with health waiting lists and housing waiting lists. There is an objectively assessed disadvantage to those families and children, but Sinn Féin care about disadvantage only when it applies to them. Sinn Féin only care about equality when it applies to them. When it comes to the evidentially objective disadvantage of others, Sinn Féin is prepared to say, "No, nay, never".
216 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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