Debate contribution: United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Debate contribution by Mr Daniel McCrossan on 25 November 2024.

MLA

Mr Daniel McCrossan

Party at the time

Social Democratic and Labour Party

Date

25 November 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4675332

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. It is clear that today's debate is a very important one. It is important to each and all of us as legislators that we tackle the serious problems facing people with disabilities across Northern Ireland. We will support the motion, as my colleagues Matthew O'Toole and Sinéad McLaughlin said, and we have added a clear stipulation for the provision of hate crime legislation, which is essential. You would think that this was a new problem, because, as with most things in the House, we hear around the Assembly, "We need to", "We must", "We will", and, "We plan to". Where is the action? People with disabilities have been waiting for many years and knocking on each of our doors and on the doors of Departments and Ministers. They have been calling for change — calling for equality; calling for necessary legislation and protections — yet here we are, and we hear all these aspirational promises but get no action and no meaningful change. We need to build protections into legislation to ensure that people in Northern Ireland with disabilities and those who are affected by racial abuse and all sorts of other hate crime are protected. That is why we proposed an amendment to the motion. We ask the House to support that amendment because there is a need for robust hate crime legislation and for a clear commitment and action to ensure equality for people with disabilities in Northern Ireland. We must also be clear, as per the subject of our amendment, that hate crimes are not just offences against individuals but direct assaults on the principles of fairness and inclusion that underpin a just society. The Assembly, as Members have outlined today, has a responsibility to ensure that no one in Northern Ireland feels unsafe, marginalised or left behind because of their identity or disability. The motion, alongside our amendment, provides a comprehensive framework for achieving that goal, addressing systemic inequalities and the urgent need for tailored hate crime legislation. We are all largely on the same page; we just need to see more action that has a direct, meaningful impact on people's lives. We need to get away from, "We want to see", which is promising one thing and doing something entirely different. I heard a Member refer to the process for PIP. It is abusive and is distressing for people to go through, but the Member failed to point out that the Minister, who was of the Member's party, renewed Capita's contract for PIP. You cannot sit in the House and say that you want things to change when you have your hands on the levers of power but do not implement any change. That is why people are losing patience with this place. We need to see meaningful action. The motion emphasises the need for action by the Assembly and the Executive to reduce those inequalities and create a society that values the diversity of people with disabilities. It also laments the lack of progress on equality legislation in Northern Ireland. That lack of progress is not just a missed opportunity but a failed duty. That belief is, again, shared by Members across the House. I support the call for bold and meaningful legislative reform to ensure that we protect the rights of people with disabilities. The SDLP's amendment strengthens that, because it addresses a critical gap in our legal framework. It calls for the protection of individuals with disabilities from harm through stand-alone hate crime legislation. Again, many parties clearly committed to and supported that. While the motion recognises systemic inequalities, our amendment goes further to confront the hostility and prejudice that too many people with disabilities face daily. Stand-alone hate crime legislation is essential to protect those who are often targeted, not just because of their identity but because they are perceived to be vulnerable due to their disabilities. Our amendment sends a clear message that we will not tolerate hate or harm being directed at any member of our community. Introducing tailored laws will ensure that those crimes are taken seriously and are met with the appropriate legal consequences. The problem at the minute is that the justice system does not know how to react to some of the unique cases that come before it, because the legislation does not exist or is not clear. Judge Desmond Marrinan's 2019 review outlined some of the many issues and provided clear recommendations that need to be considered and adhered to. I am glad that the Alliance Party tabled the motion, and we will support it. However, attempts to fold hate crime provisions into broader justice legislation, which is what the Alliance Party is proposing, dilute the focus and undermine the effectiveness. That is a piecemeal approach, and it will not deliver the robust protections —

— that our citizens need.

811 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:40 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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