During his remarks Mr Robinson said,
“As many of you know, my journey in elected politics began in Local Government at Belfast City Hall. Those years were some of the most rewarding, enjoyable, and formative of my time as a public representative.
We often refer to the role of Councillor as being at the ‘coalface,’ and it’s true.
A good Councillor is someone who gets the work done in their local community, is making a difference both at a public level and to the lives of individuals.
This, at its core, is what public service is about—and I firmly believe it is what the Democratic Unionist Party is about: community, service, and delivery.
Take childcare, for example.
When our party selected Education, we pledged to address the lack of affordable childcare for working parents. Our team designed a scheme that cut childcare bills by 15%, saving working parents up to £160 per month. In September and October alone, the DUP has saved working parents almost £1 million on childcare.
We are not only delivering; we are also challenging our political opponents.
It was the DUP, along with public pressure, that forced Health Minister Mike Nesbitt to state his opposition to mandatory vaccination, particularly within the discredited draft Public Health Bill consultation.
It was the DUP that held Naomi Long to account over her draft Justice Bill and her £13 million kitchen café for prisoners in Magilligan.
And of course, we have kept Sinn Fein accountable, especially over the scandal surrounding the handling of the Michael McMonagle case.
Let me address this matter briefly.
Firstly, this is a deeply troubling matter because it concerns the safeguarding of children. The gravity of this issue, now compounded by the revelations surrounding Niall O’Donnghaile, means Sinn Fein must explain their cover-up and their flagrant disregard for basic safeguarding practices. We will continue to hold Michelle O’Neill to account, not for political gain, but because it is the right thing to do.
Secondly, as these scandals continue to engulf Sinn Fein, it serves as a reminder that in politics, fortunes can change—and change quickly.
As Harold Macmillan once said, “Events, dear boy, events.”
Not long ago, Mary-Lou was touted as the next Taoiseach. Today, she is being talked about as the outgoing President of Sinn Fein.
Colleagues, while the circumstances surrounding Sinn Fein’s difficulties are disturbing, it shows one thing clearly: no party, including Sinn Fein, is invincible.
Sinn Fein become obsessed about Sinn Fein. Half-truth after half-truth was told to protect the party.
Let that be a lesson for us all. We are not in politics to advance ourselves or this party, we are in politics because we care about Northern Ireland and its people.
The Sinn Fein leadership have questions to answer and we will not step back from asking them.
Our members on the Executive Office Committee have rightly asked the First Minister and the Junior Minister to come to the committee and answer detailed questions. A Department charged with responsibility for Historical and Institutional Abuse needs to be led by a Minister who can publicly show they understand the importance of safeguarding children.
Let’s remember this is not the first safeguarding scandal in Sinn Fein.
Last week I read an account of how Gerry Adams’ failed when he learned his brother was an abuser. Yet Gerry is still front and centre in Sinn Fein.
The account from Maria Cahill on BBC Radio this morning of the abuse she suffered and how she was treated is another reminder of Sinn Fein’s failure.
We can’t look at the McMonagle case in isolation. This safeguarding crisis within Sinn Fein has been brewing for years.
There is a change of culture that needs to take place.
As public representatives, we are involved in so many community organisations, there will always been rotten apples who get involved.
However, it is how we deal with those situations that matters.
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Colleagues, the 2027 elections are just around the corner. We have a young team and we are planning to win.
We will work to deliver for the people we serve.
Whether at Council or Assembly level, to achieve this we must work with fellow unionists for the greater good.
Unionist co-operation helped elect Alex Easton in North Down, removing what the University of Ulster describes as the ‘exceptional talent’ of Stephen Farry.
Yet in Lagan Valley, 29,000 pro-union votes were defeated by division.
The price of division and disunity is defeat and weaker representation.
That leads to less of our policies being delivered for the betterment of everyone in Northern Ireland.
Pro-union infighting must end if Unionism is to succeed.
I want each and every one of us to have the ambition to build a better Northern Ireland for the next generation
We have the opportunity to honour the legacy we were given and secure a brighter future for all our people.
And if we don’t seize this moment, then who will?
Together, we stand for Northern Ireland, for the Union, and for our people.
Join me, and together we will make a real difference for our communities, our people, and our Union."