Debate contribution: Home Care Provision
Debate contribution by Mr Philip McGuigan on .
- MLA
- Mr Philip McGuigan
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 12 May 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Private Members' Business
- Heading
- Home Care Provision
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5528717
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I thank the Minister for allowing me to come in, because I was going to make an intervention. He talks about the need for the Executive to agree a Budget to provide financial stability. I agree with that, but that is looking into the future. It was not me, as Chair of the Health Committee, who made the promise in January 2025 to introduce the real living wage to home care workers by September 2025; it was you, Minister. I accept that he is inviting me to comment, but I am not the Minister. It was the Minister who disappointed the home care sector. When he had his budget for 2024 and 2025, he made the promise to home care workers that he would introduce the real living wage; it was you, Minister, who reneged on that promise even though you had your budget for those proceeding years.
Minister, it is not for me to do your job. That is why you are appointed as Minister. I understand that your party colleague wants the Executive to share the blame. Maybe we do not need a Health Minister if your party wants the Executive to share all the blame without your taking any of the responsibility. My point is that you made financial decisions this year and last year when you were given your budget. You made a promise, and you made the decision to renege on it.
237 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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