Debate contribution: Exclusion of the First Minister from Office under Section 30 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998
Debate contribution by Ms Emma Sheerin on .
- MLA
- Ms Emma Sheerin
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 12 October 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Assembly Business
- Heading
- Exclusion of the First Minister from Office under Section 30 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5787079
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle.
The hypocrisy on display this evening has been breathtaking. We have heard those who tabled the motions talk about standards in office and the rule of law. That has come from the proposer of the motion, the junior to Jim Allister — Jim Allister who, just this weekend, told us all that the Garvaghy Road should have been sanitised, implying that the people of the Garvaghy Road are dirty and inhuman — and it has come from the DUP, the former leader of which is in Maghaberry and the current leader of which is on camera protesting in the middle of a road. What was he protesting about? Illegal immigration. Every other week, DUP Members waltz in here and scaremonger about men of fighting age coming here in boats but do not have a word of condemnation for the British Royal Navy officer who came here and subjected members of the PSNI to sectarian and misogynistic abuse. In fact, the Member for East Belfast praised the navy in the Chamber earlier. We will not take lectures from the hypocrites in political unionism, because we know what this is all about: deflection. They have not got a leader amongst them. The motion is based on insecurity and jealousy. Not if they put all their unelected spokespeople in a blue bin would they find a fraction of the talent that is on the front Bench in front of me on this side of the House.
I am proud of each and every one of the people on it. I am proud to be a Sinn Féin representative and activist. Over recent weeks, we have seen the strength and solidarity that exists in our movement, the genuine respect that our people have for one another, the solidarity from our ministerial team and the leadership that they show. From being at the relatively young end of the Sinn Féin representatives in the Chamber, I know about that. I know about it through the mentorship, leadership, advice and support that I have received from my constituency colleague Michelle O'Neill since I first joined Sinn Féin as a teenager, and I know about it through the support that I have got from big John since I came into the House. Liz and Caoimhe, my friends on the younger end —
— of the spectrum, have benefited from the same support, but their talent shines through in their respective Ministries. Members can laugh and sneer all that they want, but that is what the motions are based on. Those Members know that they do not have that strength on their Benches, and that is why they are deflecting again. They know that the days of the Orange walking wherever they want to — walking, as my colleague said, over the graves of 21 people who lost their lives, including four children — is never going to happen. Regardless of what they say about the law, the Members opposite know that they have stood on the wrong side of history yet again, while we have stood, as we always have, for the rights of people. I am proud of the actions of our ministerial team and our whole party in representing the rights of the Irish people to live free from intimidation and harassment. I urge those Members to stick the motion in the blue bin, where it belongs.
568 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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