25 November 2025
SDLP Foyle MLA Sinéad McLaughlin has welcomed confirmation from the Minister of Health that departmental officials will now carry out a review into the operation of social services and their interaction with the family courts.
The commitment comes after Ms McLaughlin led a delegation of constituents to meet directly with Minister Nesbitt in recent weeks, where she pressed him to intervene following a series of deeply troubling cases brought to her attention.
Speaking after the announcement, Foyle MLA Sinéad McLaughlin said:
“Today’s confirmation from the Minister of Health that a review will now be taken forward is a significant and hard-won step for families right across the North who have been left frustrated and feel badly let down by social services.
“In meeting the Minister alongside constituents, I set out in stark detail the experiences of parents who have been forced to navigate an opaque and, at times, distressing system in the context of the family courts. Having heard these stories first-hand, I am more convinced than ever that there is a systemic problem that cannot be ignored any longer.
“While I welcome the Minister’s decision, I am deeply concerned that this appears to be the first time these issues have been brought formally to his attention. Problems surrounding reporting to the family courts and the conduct and communication of social services have been raised repeatedly for years. There must now be a serious effort to understand why these concerns have not reached the department sooner.
“This review must proceed at pace, with a clear commitment to transparency and meaningful action. Every day of delay increases the risk of parents and children enduring further unnecessary trauma. Families deserve a system that protects and supports them, not one that compounds their distress.
“I will continue to work closely with affected families and will hold the Minister to his promise to deliver real and lasting change.’’