Debate contribution: Hate: Executive Approach

Debate contribution by Ms Paula Bradshaw on 22 September 2025.

MLA

Ms Paula Bradshaw

Party at the time

Alliance Party

Date

22 September 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Opposition Business

Heading

Hate: Executive Approach

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5124358

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I welcome the debate and thank the leader of the Opposition for bringing it to the House. It speaks to one of the largest societal challenges that we face in Northern Ireland today: the obstinate persistence of hate crime. Whether it takes the form of racism, sectarianism, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny or ableism, the impact is the same: individuals and families are made to feel targeted, less than and as though they do not belong in our communities. We do not need to look hard for examples. My party colleague Connie Egan provided some statistics from the PSNI on the level of racist and sectarian incidents. They remain among the highest categories of reported hate crime. While the statistics are shocking and disturbing, they do not reflect the full gravity of the problem, because, as we know, a lot of victims do not come forward to report. All of the statistics, however, are more than a number: they represent a neighbour, a student or a family who have been told loud and clear by some that they are not welcome. Every Member will be aware of the summer that we have just experienced and the individual incidents that occurred in their constituency. My constituency colleague Matthew O'Toole outlined some of what we, as elected representatives, have been dealing with, including threats that were left on the windscreens of cars belonging to Irish language students; an attack on the Islamic centre, where people were gathered in prayer; and racially motivated attacks on homes, resulting in families fleeing through fear. Those are not isolated events, and those families and individuals hear words in the Chamber that are not followed up by deeds. That leaves them feeling very hollow and let down time and again. It is up to the whole Executive to turn that sorry situation around, as the Justice Minister has articulated. As Linda Dillon said, we were all elected to represent every member of our communities, not just the ones whom we relate to, the ones who reflect our voting base or those whose families look like us.

No, we were given a voice to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves and to act with the best interests of all the people in Northern Ireland in mind.

I will.

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank the Member for raising that point. Whenever we see such incidents, it is the community and voluntary sector and front-line public-sector workers who step forward to provide shelter for families who are fleeing attacks. That is why the Assembly and Executive must act together. As Chair of the Committee for the Executive Office, I place on record —

Let me finish this point, please. As Chair of the Committee for the Executive Office, I put on record that we need to see a new racial equality strategy, the introduction of the new race relations order and an acceleration of the implementation of the refugee integration strategy. I will give way to the Member.

I will move on. I was generous in giving the Member some of my time. I commend my Alliance Party colleague the Justice Minister for her work with departmental officials on the forthcoming sentencing Bill with an aggravator model for hate crimes and on the victims and witnesses of crime Bill. I welcomed Mr Beattie's warm words and his warm attitude towards the introduction of the Bill, and I look forward to his being constructive after its First Reading. Both of those Bills will offer a real opportunity to put together protections in law, and we must make sure that the provisions on hate crime are supported by all when they come to the Chamber. The Executive programme on paramilitarism and organised crime needs continued support and scrutiny. I thank Mr Frew and Mr Burrows for supporting the call for more money for the PSNI, the PPS, the courts and so on. They need the resources to make sure that victims get timely investigations, strong prosecutions and that sentences reflect —

I do not have time. They need sentences that reflect the seriousness of the crimes committed. In closing, I will reference a point that Linda Dillon raised about women in our communities who live in constant fear created by criminal organisations that masquerade as paramilitary organisations. That is exploitation in its highest form, and it must be challenged head-on.

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

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:15 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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