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.
Does the Member see the contradiction in what he has just said? He said that he does not believe in pretrial education, but he then said that judges direct juries in every criminal trial. Is it not the case that there is, by definition, instruction and education for jurors in every trial? Our motion calls for that to…
I preface my remarks by saying that I listened with some disbelief this morning to the Member from Sinn Féin pontificate about violence against women and girls. There was no such concern shown by the republican movement, which decided that an innocent woman in my constituency, Yvonne Dunlop, should die. There was no…
FlaggedGender, sexuality, abortion and related social issuesCriteria met: Sectarian or communal antagonism, Dog-whistle messaging.
I rise to speak on this important SDLP motion calling for immediate actions to put an end to the scourge of violence against women and girls, a scourge that is rampant in our society. The North of Ireland is one of the least safe places to be a woman in all of Europe. That is frightening and shameful, yet,…
I welcome the motion that has been moved in the Chamber this morning. Many Members have articulated clearly the horrifying impact of violence against women and girls, but it is a societal issue that, even with the parameters of the Assembly, we cannot truly come to grips with. Twenty-five women have been murdered in…
I thank the Opposition for bringing this important motion to the House today. We stand here confronted with a harsh truth: violence against women and girls in Northern Ireland is not just a problem; it is an epidemic. Statistics show that women in Northern Ireland will face at least one form of gender-based violence…
I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important issue. The statistics around violence against women and girls are truly shocking and totally unacceptable. The sad reality is that the figures may not even be an accurate or up-to-date reflection of where we are with this terrible issue. The figures may not…
I thank the Members who tabled the motion for the opportunity to discuss this important topic. Violence against women and girls casts a long shadow over our society. It is a subject that we cannot afford to ignore, particularly here in the North where statistics are alarming and heartbreaking. As has been outlined,…
Violence against women and girls and serious sexual offences in particular are an issue that we will have to face head-on. Lots of Members have mentioned the fact that it is a cross-departmental issue — it is not just for Justice but for Health, Education and the Executive Office. The framework for ending violence and…
I thank the Member for giving way. Does she agree, given that she referred the fact that judicial training is the key element in all this, that our judges need to have a clear understanding of what is front of them and that the Lady Chief Justice has a clear responsibility to ensure that that training is rolled out to…
I stand today to make some of my first remarks in a debate in 2025. Despite it being the new year, we are unfortunately faced with the same problems. My colleagues and I are still filled with the same horror and concern at the epidemic of violence facing women and girls in Northern Ireland, which, in 2025, is still…
I support the motion. The last time I spoke about the issue in the Chamber was on 21 October last year, at which time I lamented the fact that, in the previous eight years, 42 women had been murdered in the North. Even since then, another woman has been murdered here, and, at this time, I send my condolences to the…
Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. We agree with the thrust of the motion but have sought to add another layer to the process by inserting the need for consultation. The issues and rights are very sensitive, difficult and finely balanced, and it is imperative that everybody — complainants, victims, witnesses,…
I beg to move Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I begin by putting on record my horror and deep concern over the epidemic of violence against women and girls that continues to plague Northern Ireland. It is a subject that we have discussed many times in the Chamber, and it continues to blight the lives of far…
Over the Christmas period, our emergency departments featured strongly on the news daily. Each of us was inundated over the Christmas period by messages from worried constituents whose loved ones, perhaps vulnerable family members, were sitting in overcrowded emergency departments. Some people waited for prolonged…
I am raising the issue of tenancy succession for Housing Executive tenants. In recent days, I have been contacted at my office by multiple West Belfast residents who are being evicted after suffering a family bereavement. That is completely unfair and counterproductive. The Housing Executive has been dragging its…
The vote on the protocol that was held in the Chamber just before Christmas was the most significant vote in Northern Ireland's history. Never before had the representatives of the people of the Province been asked to sign away their right to shape the laws to which they are subject. Yet, on that occasion alone, for…
FlaggedConstitutional question, Brexit, the Windsor Framework and sovereigntyCriteria met: Identity framing, Dog-whistle messaging.
Last month, I launched the online consultation for my private Member's Bill on regional economic balance. I am grateful to all those who have responded to date and to those who will do so during the period of consultation. It is a cause that is close to my heart, as many people will know, and, to me, the law is long…
Last Thursday, 9 January 2025, marked the 35th anniversary of the cold, callous, premeditated, brutal murder of Olven Kilpatrick, a young businessman in Castlederg. Olven was a family man, a businessman and a part-time UDR soldier, and he was highly regarded and respected by all who knew him in his community. Just…
I rise to voice my concerns about the introduction of the electronic travel authorisation (ETA), an unnecessary barrier to travel by visitors to this island that is being imposed upon us by the British Government. The ETA requirement will mean that all non-European travellers will have to apply and pay for a digital…
The skills shortages that we face in Northern Ireland are one of the most significant blocks to our future economic growth. We have serious vacancy levels, and, according to the Audit Office, more than one in three of those vacancies is attributable to the skills gap. It estimates that that results in a loss of over…
This coming weekend, we will remember those who were murdered at Teebane between Cookstown and Omagh. On 17 January 1992, eight Protestant workmen were murdered and another five were injured when an IRA roadside bomb blew up their minibus at Teebane crossroads. Apparently, the men were targeted because they carried…
Last week, I was contacted by numerous Royal Mail staff members in Enniskillen who expressed deep concerns about a decision by their employer to cut overtime for its postal workers. That decision will have serious repercussions for my constituents across Fermanagh, particularly those who are in more rural communities.…
The year 2024 was the first in which the globe recorded a temperature rise of 1·5°C above pre-industrial levels. That number is an important one, but not in a good way. A decade ago, at COP21 in Paris, the major participant nations in that conference agreed to limit global temperature rises to below 1·5°C. For…