'Every week a constituent cries in my office' says Co Derry MLA

East Derry MLA Claire Sugden has told the NI Assembly that her constituents are coming to her in tears on a weekly basis due to the current cost of living.

Ms Sugden made the claim in an impassioned speech as the Assembly was recalled for a failed attempt to elect a Speaker and resume government.

The nomination of the SDLP's Mid Ulster MLA Patsy McGlone and the UUP's Mike Nesbitt for the role failed to reach the required amount of cross-community support.

The failure resulted in the suspension of the plenary session, but before the vote, MLAs lined up to make their speeches to fellow members.

Claire Sugden dismissed the idea that the Assembly was 'not capable' of doing anything to help people struggling.

“To those who say that this Assembly and this Executive is not capable of anything; yes we are,” she said.

“I can wholeheartedly say to you that every week in my office a constituent cries to me, because they can't get a house; they can't put food on their table and they can't heat their homes.

Mid Ulster MLA Patsy McGlone was nominated for Speaker.

“We are only going to see that get worse, and what can we do? It's more than money; we could insulate homes, give free school meals to every family in Northern Ireland to take that pressure off.

“We could defer rates. There is so much that this Assembly could do, so please don't tell people on the doorsteps over the next number of weeks that we can do nothing.

“Because if you are going to say that, then what's this place about? It's certainly not about the issues that you say.”

During the early part of her speech, Ms Sugden indicated her opposition to the NI Protocol, but said she was saddened to see it become a 'green and orange issue'.

“I will say that from the outset of the Protocol, I was quite prepared to see the opportunities that came with that,” she said.

“But within days – weeks - of the Protocol coming into effect, I can say wholeheartedly and genuinely that I was contacted by farms, businesses, by people who are going to be affected by it.

“The issues most affected by the Protocol are coming from those businesses. If we pull the rug from beneath those we are pulling the rug from beneath our entire economy.

“Mr Speaker, it does disappoint me that this has become a unionist-nationalist issue. I can assure you that my issues with the Protocol are not constitutional.

“My issues are trade issues and the issues that are affecting my constituents. It saddens me that people are no longer coming forward because they see this as a green and orange issue.

“We can't truly have a debate unless we outline the issues, and certainly I would appeal to all in this house to listen; stop talking, and listen. It needs to be fixed. It can be fixed and I truly believe it will be.”

Claire Sugden MLA

Ms Sugden also appealed to the Minister for Infrastructure, Sinn Féin's John O'Dowd, to adequately fund the community transport network.

“This morning, I attended a community transport meeting. Community transport takes our elderly out of our homes where our public services have failed,” she said.

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“I would appeal to the Minister of Infrastructure in his next few hours, if he could look at trying to fund that, because community transport is picking up the pieces of the community ambulance service – who can't bring people to hospital and they are waiting hours outside it.

“Those are the issues that matter to people, and those are the issues that I hope the electorate will ask you about on the doorsteps, so please do what you can.

“There is not much time left, but I would appeal to anyone to take responsibility for the power you hold,” added the Independent MLA.