Debate contribution: Hospital Parking Charges Bill: Consideration Stage

Debate contribution by Mr Matthew O'Toole on 24 March 2026.

MLA

Mr Matthew O'Toole

Party at the time

Social Democratic and Labour Party

Date

24 March 2026

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Executive Committee Business

Heading

Hospital Parking Charges Bill: Consideration Stage

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5463543

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I will speak briefly in support of my colleague Colin McGrath's amendment to the Hospital Parking Charges Bill. At Second Stage, we indicated our frustration by forcing a Division. It is important that we, as the Opposition, be robust in holding to account the Executive, and, indeed, the Assembly, for the promises that we make to the public and then fail to keep. Let me be absolutely clear: the final Bill that the Assembly passed in 2022 was the Hospital Parking Charges Bill. We told hard-pressed staff, who were, and are still, facing enormous inflationary pressures and who were suffering and had to threaten strike action repeatedly in order to get fair pay settlements that we were taking action to address the cost of parking for them. The very first thing that we did when we returned was to delay the Act's implementation, and we are now delaying its implementation again. People will question the Bill, and they are entitled to do so. It is legitimate to say, as Mr McGuigan did, that people, particularly hospital staff, are hard-pressed, so, although there will be debate about the targeting in the initial Bill, there will also be debate about how we help hard-pressed healthcare staff. I take issue with some of what Mr McGuigan said, however. He —.

I will in a second. I am not sure that Mr McGuigan's party was going to oppose the delay until we forced a Division. I presume, and the Minister of Health can correct me if I am wrong about this —.

I will in a second. I presume, and the Health Minister can correct me about this, that the First Minister and the Minister of Finance agreed to the legislation at the Executive. They certainly did not raise any objection to its introduction. I will take interventions, first from Mr Donnelly and then from Mr McGuigan.

Mr Deputy Speaker, the purpose of the single amendment that we tabled is to establish the costs of delaying the Bill. That is what an Opposition should be doing. Otherwise, the Bill would have just gone through Consideration Stage, as the first Bill did in 2022 and, I believe, the second Bill did, without a Division. The public, who were promised free parking, would wonder, "What the hell's happening here? What are these people doing? They make promises that they then don't keep". At the very least, we can explain to them the cost of not keeping those promises and how much has been spent on implementation that has not been followed through on. I will give way to Mr McGuigan, because I promised him that I would.

I am grateful for that clarification. I would never be so bold as to assume powers that I do not have. I have to work very hard as leader of the Opposition, as does Colin McGrath and the entire SDLP team. We are the official Opposition, and we have a job to do. We are not going to be dissuaded or discouraged from doing that, despite the fact that other Members do not like it. That is grand, however. We tabled an amendment, which Colin moved. The amendment is about accountability. The public will see that there will be some accountability for the costs that have been incurred. This goes to the heart of the amendment, so let us be honest: the very last thing that you did before the election was to make a promise to the people. You then campaigned on it. The very first thing that you did when you came back was to delay its implementation, and you are now delaying it again.

If you are getting on for three quarters of a decade, and counting, before implementing it, the public will want to know how much has been spent on implementing it, but, at the same time, not delivering it. That is all that the amendment does: it provides an important piece of accountability. We are pleased to move the amendment. That is what opposition and accountability means, and we are proud to be able to do that job on behalf of the public.

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

Assessment

Not flagged

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 15:16 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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