Northern Ireland riots: ‘Immigration adds to difficulties accessing housing, healthcare and schools’ says TUV MLA Timothy Gaston

He has replaced his party leader Jim Allister, who was recently elected as MP for the area.

Mr Gaston opened by strongly condemning recent street violence, adding that those responsible "need to be brought to justice regardless of the label that they do it under".

He said: "I have repeatedly heard it claimed that the number of people leaving Northern Ireland is greater than the number of those coming here. Data published by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency proves that claim to be false. In fact, there was a net international flow of over 5,000 people in the year ending mid-2022. The reality is that many working-class communities, such as Harryville in my constituency, recognise that immigration has been a factor in the pressures on housing."

Challenged by Alliance MLA Kate Nichol, he repeated that immigration was "a factor" in the problems but not "solely the cause of the problem".

"There are also greater pressures in my constituency, like seeing a doctor or dentist, where — whether or not you like to admit it — immigration has played a part. There are pressures in schools, and immigration has been a factor, mainly due to a language barrier."

At this point the speaker intervened to silence widespread voices of protest.

Mr Gaston then added: "Yes, years of underinvestment in this place and the Departments have played a part in that, but burying your heads in the sand will not make the issue go away. My goodness, all the rigorous implementers in the House who cheer every time the protocol separates us further from the rest of the United Kingdom, including on immigration policy, also have to take some responsibility for the mess in which we find ourselves."

He said he has taken calls from businesses across his constituency concerned about the risk of losing their many foreign national workers.

Due to the lack of a skilled local workforce, he said, Wrightbus employs 600 skilled workers from the Philippines, who integrate very well with their community and neighbours, he said.

He appealed to street protestors to bear this in mind.

The MLA also noted that while the First Minister Michelle O'Neill condemned the recent street violence, she also maintains that there was no alternative to the IRA campaign of violence which claimed almost 1,800 lives. He noted that this included German industrialist Thomas Niedermayer, who brought jobs to west Belfast but was kidnapped and murdered by the IRA.

"You cannot say, out of one side of your mouth, that the violence directed at immigrants in recent days is wrong whilst defending, out of the other side of your mouth, the murder of a migrant who brought jobs to west Belfast."

He added: "I hear regularly from people who see that violence has worked for others in Northern Ireland and who now believe that it is the only way in which to make others sit up and take notice of their concerns."

The MLA said there are "legitimate concerns about legal and illegal immigration" and cited the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Commissioner, Ms Donna Jones, who said recently: "The government must acknowledge what is causing this civil unrest in order to prevent it. Arresting people, or creating violent disorder units, is treating the symptom and not the cause."