Every imported question, contribution and motion, with its classification. Unflagged, uncertain and not-yet-analysed records are all included so the analysis can be checked independently.
Deputy First Minister, it would be very easy for me to draw you and your party's attention to your past. My party is proud of its record. We stand and have always stood as a party of rights and non-violence, and I will take no lectures from your party. However, I am not about throwing accusations around the Chamber; I…
You absolutely defied the law. It is bad enough that Sinn Féin is dancing to the beat of the dissident drum, but it is absolutely shocking that the SDLP is doing so too. The Member should take the opportunity to call out those who broke the law. They do not have to agree with the outcome of the court, but the rule of…
I will say to the leader of the Opposition that the application was submitted by the Portadown Orangemen, and they were perfectly legally entitled to do so. The Portadown Orangemen can choose their legal representatives as they wish, in the same way that any other party to the court action can choose their legal…
FlaggedSectarianism, hate crime and community relationsCriteria met: Identity framing, Controversy escalation.
I have said it before, but people are so sick of the hypocrisy of Sinn Féin. You go along to commemorations of paramilitary organisations and individuals. You have, on your very Benches, people who have been unrepentant terrorists who inflicted incredible harm to the people of Northern Ireland. Let me say, once again,…
FlaggedLegacy of the Troubles, victims and paramilitarismCriteria met: Identity framing, Sectarian or communal antagonism, Dog-whistle messaging, Controversy escalation.
I note that the deputy First Minister has waxed lyrical about the DUP's support for British veterans. That is, of course, in stark contrast to its historical links to Ulster Resistance, which supplied weapons to the UDA and the UVF, which were involved in hundreds of sectarian murders. Of course, the deputy First…
FlaggedDecided on a second assessment.Legacy of the Troubles, victims and paramilitarismCriteria met: Identity framing, Dog-whistle messaging.
Absolutely. What we hear from Sinn Féin time and time again is a demand for equality, but what does that look like? Equality has to be something that applies equally to everyone, but what we hear are Sinn Féin's demands for equality and then claims for exemptions for themselves. We saw it at Bobby Storey's funeral. We…
FlaggedLegacy of the Troubles, victims and paramilitarismCriteria met: Dog-whistle messaging.
Thank you, deputy First Minister, for your unequivocal support for our armed forces; it is important for us to hear that today. Sinn Féin's position seems to be a denial of rights, particularly the rights of people whom they do not like or do not want to have rights. Will you agree that the denial of rights to members…
Absolutely. I am deeply proud of the legacy of all those who served in the armed forces with dignity. Of course, just yesterday, I attended the Ulster Defence Regiment’s recommittal of the standards for its Lisburn branch. It was a time to remember that extraordinary contribution. Well in excess of 40,000 people…
FlaggedSectarianism, hate crime and community relationsCriteria met: Sectarian or communal antagonism, Dog-whistle messaging.
The deputy First Minister will be aware that the democratic position articulated by the House was to adopt the armed forces covenant in Northern Ireland. It is clear that the First Minister for all's party is blocking the adoption of the armed forces covenant. Will the deputy First Minister join me and the 37,000…
FlaggedDecided on a second assessment.Another identity-related subjectCriteria met: Identity framing, Dog-whistle messaging.
With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will answer questions 4 and 6 together. I may therefore take slightly longer than the allocated two minutes. The armed forces covenant has not been formally adopted by the Executive. While Northern Ireland Departments have not all signed up to the covenant through Executive…
As I mentioned, we are being asked to take one child, not two. I previously agreed, through an urgent procedure, to take two injured children from Gaza. I agreed to it under the previous evacuation scheme, so that has already happened. Energy prices have everything to do with the situation. The conflict in the Middle…
I hope that no one who is listening is confused: medical treatment for two Gazan children is not the reason that we have energy problems in Northern Ireland. I chair the all-party group (APG) on international development, and what strikes me is that, in the media and in politics, the issue is sometimes viewed as a…
I thank the Member for her important question. There is no doubt that the impacts of conflict are now felt not just where the conflict is happening, which, in this case, is in the Middle East, but here at home. Families face pressure from increased fuel costs that are a direct result of situations elsewhere,…
The conflict in the Middle East is having a serious impact across society, including on our energy prices. What representations has the deputy First Minister made to the UK Government to ensure that Northern Ireland is given adequate support, especially given our heavy reliance on oil?
There is a UK-wide evacuation scheme. As I indicated, we have been requested to take one child from the most recent phase of the scheme, which includes 50 children. The UK Government have led the way on medical evacuations. As I said, we want to make sure that, whatever is proposed, the right support network is there…
The destruction of the Gaza health system is a direct consequence of the Israeli genocide against the Palestinian people, for which, of course, the deputy First Minister's party has been a cheerleader. The scale of death, injury, disability and trauma is almost beyond comprehension. Does the deputy First Minister…
It is primarily for Health to lead in assessing requirements and making sure that the particular area of medical intervention is available for what needs to be done for whomever comes to Northern Ireland. Of course, there are other considerations including, for example, the size of the family or those accompanying any…
I thank the deputy First Minister for that answer. Two is a small number of Palestinian children given the scale of destruction meted out to them by the Israeli state. As you said, those are children who were injured in a war, a war carried out by Netanyahu and the genocidal Israeli state. Minister, will you give a…
The Member will be aware that, in June, the UK Government announced the resumption of medical evacuations of critically ill and injured children and their immediate families from Gaza. That follows a similar exercise undertaken in autumn 2025, when 50 children and their families arrived safely in the UK from Gaza,…
It is incredibly important that those who suffered during the Troubles get all the help and support that they can. We recommend to anybody going through that process to reach out to a local victims and survivors' group to get that help and support. I remain disappointed that the Member is justifying his actions. It…
FlaggedDecided on a second assessment.Legacy of the Troubles, victims and paramilitarism
To pre-empt your answer, deputy First Minister, I say that I was proud to stand with residents of the Garvaghy Road. Deputy First Minister, you mentioned the victim-centred, trauma-informed approach. The reality is that, for many victims, it is almost the "Troubles permanent disablement re-traumatisation scheme"; they…
Thank you. It is really important that we recognise that this is a scheme that takes time. It was designed, in part, like that, because we did not want victims and survivors to have to gather all of the evidence themselves prior to their putting in an application. The way in which the system is set up means that the…
Last week, I heard from a constituent who spent two and a half hours going through the process and then had her application turned down. She is too devastated to appeal the decision. You have indicated that there have been over 16,000 applications. I think that I am right in saying that, to date, only 35% to 40% of…
I thank the Member for her question, which is an important one. The scheme has attracted significantly more applicants than the number that was first envisaged back at the beginning of the scheme, when it was suggested that around 500 severely physically injured victims and survivors would come forward. We now have…