Debate contribution: Supporting Service Leavers, Veterans and their Families

Debate contribution by Mr Paul Frew on 4 November 2025.

MLA

Mr Paul Frew

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

4 November 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Supporting Service Leavers, Veterans and their Families

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5216936

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I beg to move

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I am delighted that we have a motion today that has been supported by four of the parties in the House. That does my heart good not only because four parties have signed the motion and agreed its wording but because the subject matter is very close to my heart and to that of many families throughout the Province. The armed forces covenant is a vital commitment that aims to ensure that members of the armed forces community, including veterans, service leavers and their families are not disadvantaged in areas such as health, housing and education. In Northern Ireland, however, real and perceived challenges continue to affect the armed forces community, largely stemming from a lack of strategic discussion and policy implementation around the covenant. That has created gaps in communication and understanding, leaving some veterans and their families feeling that they may face disadvantage even when none is intended. One of the key issues is the ability of veterans to safely and confidently identify their status. For many years, service personnel were, for security reasons, advised to maintain a low profile, use an alias and avoid disclosing details of their service. In a post-operational environment, where reintegration and normalisation should be the focus, that culture of concealment can hinder access to support services. For service families, that can be particularly acute in areas such as education. For example, a family moving from England to Northern Ireland or returning from a posting elsewhere in the UK or abroad may encounter difficulties if a child has a special educational needs statement that was issued elsewhere. Such statements are not always fully recognised, which can disrupt the continuity of educational support and care. Veterans also face challenges in housing and health provision. In some areas of Northern Ireland, housing allocations may place veterans in locations where they feel unsafe due to past service-related experiences. Veterans may also hesitate to disclose their status to healthcare professionals, including GPs and those in hospitals and mental health services, due to concerns about misunderstanding or lack of empathy. That can prevent them from accessing statutory or third-sector support that could alleviate the pressures on them and on public services. Much of that stems from the absence of accessible armed forces champions in Departments or services. Veterans need a clear and safe point of contact where they can ask questions and access support without fear of prejudice or disadvantage. While the armed forces question is now widely included in national censuses elsewhere in the UK, it remains absent in Northern Ireland, leaving the local veteran population under-recognised in planning and service delivery. It is essential that veterans living in Northern Ireland are acknowledged, valued and supported. They have served with dignity and professionalism, and they should not experience disadvantage because of their service. Strengthening the implementation of the armed forces covenant in Northern Ireland is a crucial step forward in ensuring that veterans and their families can access fair and equitable support in all areas of public life. As we look at conflict around the world, we see that peace, democracy and sovereignty can never be taken for granted. Northern Ireland is playing its part. We are proud to contribute more reservists per capita than anywhere else in the UK. That highlights the deep commitment of our people to serve us and keep us safe. The armed forces protect and serve the community from whom they recruit. Defence and business must work closely together in the world's changing landscape. That is laid out in the 2025 strategic defence review, which said that it would put personnel at the heart of the UK's defence. The skill set in the armed forces could be of great benefit to our economy and the communities across Northern Ireland, if those skills were celebrated and harnessed. There is a misconception among many in our society when they are asked to think of a veteran. They imagine older gentlemen in their later years of life. However, there are also many veterans and service leavers who are young — like me

— and in middle age who are highly trained professionals and an asset to our communities. They have a skill set that should be harnessed and supported. We know that reservists are an essential part of the UK's defence strategy. They are called on as individuals for their specific skills or as units to serve alongside the regular forces when required. They have expertise in engineering, logistics and digital sectors and skills in leadership and resilience. They are an asset that can strengthen our economy and national security. Reserve-trained employees bring many professional advantages to civilian roles. The strategic defence review highlighted the overlap in leadership, programme management, cyber, digital and data skills between warfighting and modern workplaces. Northern Ireland has strong engineering and digital sectors, and it is uniquely positioned to contribute to the defence need for innovation. Defence is an integral part of the UK economy and wider society. It supports 440,000 highly qualified jobs and drives social mobility through the training offered to armed forces personnel and civil servants, with over 24,000 apprenticeships. That is what reservists bring; that is what veterans bring; and that is what the armed forces bring to our communities and way of life. That is why we must support our armed forces and the people in them, be they regular forces or reservists. They are a vital cog in the machine of society and defence. That is why, through our Departments and councils, we must protect them and ensure that they are never disadvantaged. However, because of their service, and because of how they contribute to the safety and defence of our people, they sometimes are disadvantaged, or, if they are not actually disadvantaged, they feel as if they are, and that is just as bad. That is something that we should not tolerate. These people should be commended for stepping forward to protect us, our families, our homelands and, indeed, the world from terror and wars. That is what being in the armed forces is all about. It is also about a friendship group, teamwork and being together. Sometimes, you can feel very alone when you leave that environment, because, for three, six, nine, 12, 15 or 22 years, someone had your back. Someone was always at your side. Sometimes, when you leave that environment, you can feel exposed. You can feel alone. If you do not have the support of a government agency with housing, health and education for your family, it can make the feeling of alienation and the concerns about safety and security 100 times worse. They always have to check under their car, that the lights are working and whether someone is following them from their home or their work. That is real, and we need to make sure that our veterans are supported so that they do not feel alone and vulnerable. Where should that support start? It should start with our Executive Departments; the Departments in this country that have the power and responsibility to support our veterans, our people who went overseas to foreign lands and fought on our behalf for our safety but also those who fought in this land against terrorist fire. It is important that the Departments in this place support our veterans and their families.

1,231 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:45 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

Disagree with this assessment?

Classifications can be challenged. A person reads every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.

Challenge this classification