Monday, 19 May 2025
The Assembly met at 12 noon (Speaker [Mr Poots] in the Chair). Members observed two minutes' silence.
I inform Members that I will not be in the Chamber tomorrow, as I will be representing the Assembly in London.
I repeat a call that a High Court judge, in the highest court in the land, has already made and that has been reiterated at appeal stage. The same call has been made by the Chief Constable, by...
Saturday marked a very proud and poignant day for Bangor on the Eisenhower pier that overlooks Bangor marina, as a very special naming ceremony and service of dedication took place for Bangor...
I rise to remark on two separate, extremely concerning incidents that occurred in North Down over what was a challenging weekend, and to thank the PSNI and the emergency services for their swift...
I wish to refer particularly to the firearms incident that took place in Bangor last night. I happened to be in the vicinity, in a local petrol station, at the time. I was aware that lots of...
Along with thousands of other Gaels, colleagues and I attended the Walk for Truth to Páirc Seán de Brún in Bellaghy on Friday evening. People from all over Ireland — clubs...
I commend the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society for another hugely successful Balmoral show, which was attended by over 100,000 people over four days. It was a fantastic networking event and a...
Last week, the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, finally admitted what Members on these Benches and the public at large have known for years: our immigration system, in the United Kingdom, is...
I stand to speak about the recent announcement of how the £55 million allocated to early years and childcare will be spent this year. I welcome much of the funding announcement. Having spent...
I will speak about the British Heart Foundation's commentary on 'Good Morning Ulster' this morning on the results that show increasing numbers of people being diagnosed with heart failure, and I...
I am concerned about media reports over the weekend that centred on what seems to be fraudulent activity in the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA). Yesterday, the media reported that some drivers...
I would like to speak about two events from the past few weeks. The first is an attack on the place of worship of our small but much-valued Jewish community. The vandalism at Belfast synagogue is...
I welcome the UK-EU summit that is taking place in London today. It feels like a lifetime since the breakfast — I am still calling it "breakfast" — the Brexit referendum in 2016 and...
Last week, I received a partial response to a freedom of information request asking for all information held by the Executive Office about a meeting between the First Minister and the Chair of...
On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Given that Standing Orders state that Ministers should bring matters of importance to the House before they reach the media and given that the anti-poverty...
I have received notice from the Minister of Health that he wishes to make a statement.
I beg to move That Standing Orders 10(2) to 10(4) be suspended for 19 May 2025.
I beg to move That this Assembly approves the programme of expenditure proposals for 2025-26 as announced by the Minister of Finance on 3 April 2025 and set out in the Budget document laid before...
1. Mr Gaston asked the Minister for Communities to outline all funding that his Department and its arm's-length bodies, including Northern Ireland Screen, have provided to Kneecap since 2017....
2. Mrs Erskine asked the Minister for Communities for an update on the Northern Ireland Football Fund. (AQO 1990/22-27)
3. Mr Crawford asked the Minister for Communities for his assessment of the work undertaken by his Department on supporting people with disabilities and long-term health conditions back into...
4. Mr Delargy asked the Minister for Communities for an update on how his Department is supporting the 2026 Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Belfast. (AQO 1992/22-27)
5. Mr K Buchanan asked the Minister for Communities to provide an update on financial support available for community halls. (AQO 1993/22-27)
7. Mr Harvey asked the Minister for Communities to outline any progress to update the active ageing strategy to reflect the needs and priorities for older people outlined in the Programme for...
8. Miss McIlveen asked the Minister for Communities to outline any plans in place to tackle black mould and damp in public and private rented houses. (AQO 1996/22-27)
10. Mr Middleton asked the Minister for Communities to provide an update on the Inner Walled City public realm project. (AQO 1998/22-27)
12. Mr Blair asked the Minister for Communities for his assessment of how victims of domestic abuse can be better supported through the social housing system. (AQO 2000/22-27)
14. Mr Tennyson asked the Minister for Communities for an update on the anti-poverty strategy. (AQO 2002/22-27)
T1. Mr McCrossan asked the Minister for Communities, following Mr Tennyson's question, when, having provided some form of an update, he will come to the House with a statement on the strategy,...
T2. Mr Crawford asked the Minister for Communities what his Department is doing to support regeneration in town centres across North Antrim, particularly where addressing derelict buildings and...
T3. Mr Sheehan asked the Minister for Communities what engagement he has had with the anti-poverty sector before publishing the anti-poverty strategy. (AQT 1313/22-27)
T4. Mr McGuigan asked the Minister for Communities when the disability strategy and disability in work strategy will be presented to the Executive. (AQT 1314/22-27)
T5. Mr McAleer asked the Minister for Communities, who may be aware that the Tyrone Fleadh has started in Fintona and there will be a full week of talks, music, parades, language and culture, to...
T6. Mr McHugh asked the Minister for Communities for an update on the timeline for the Irish language strategy. (AQT 1316/22-27)
T7. Mrs Dodds asked the Minister for Communities, having commended him for bringing to the Executive an anti-poverty strategy that was 18 years in the making and for getting departmental...
T8. Ms Sugden asked the Minister for Communities, in light of her understanding that the Riverside Theatre is likely to close indefinitely and appreciating that it is not his direct...
Members, we move on to questions to the Minister of Finance. We will start with listed questions. Questions 2 and 15 have been withdrawn.
1. Mr Brooks asked the Minister of Finance for an update on the work that he has carried out in advance of HM Government's spending review 2025. (AQO 2004/22-27)
3. Miss Dolan asked the Minister of Finance for an update on the baby loss certificate scheme. (AQO 2006/22-27)
4. Mr O'Toole asked the Minister of Finance to outline what steps he is taking to provide NI Water with multi-year funding. (AQO 2007/22-27)
5. Ms Mulholland asked the Minister of Finance for an update on discussions with UK Treasury on EU replacement funding beyond 2025. (AQO 2008/22-27)
6. Mr Bradley asked the Minister of Finance for an update on the Northern Ireland Civil Service estate strategy review of accommodation needs at County Hall, Coleraine. (AQO 2009/22-27)
7. Mr Tennyson asked the Minister of Finance for his assessment of the report 'The Impact of the Increased Cost of Doing Business' by Ulster University's Economic Policy Centre. (AQO 2010/22-27)
8. Mr Mathison asked the Minister of Finance for an update on the timescale of the June monitoring round. (AQO 2011/22-27)
9. Miss McIlveen asked the Minister of Finance for his assessment of whether there is any conflict in the Civil Service and other public bodies funding lobby groups for training and resources....
Minister, you labelled me "partitionist" earlier. In the spirit of robust debate in the Chamber, you are fully entitled to do so, but I am not the one who pursues one policy on one side of the...
T2. Ms Ferguson asked the Minister of Finance how the increased procurement control limits benefit those who do business with government? (AQT 1322/22-27)
T3. Mr Delargy asked the Minister of Finance what work his Department is doing to better understand our productivity performance compared with that of other regions. (AQT 1323/22-27)
T5. Mr Martin asked the Minister of Finance whether he is aware that Stonewall, which his Department funds, has been referred to the Charity Commission for actively encouraging organisations to...
T6. Mr Baker asked the Minister of Finance, in light of the Balmoral show last week, which was a fantastic showcase for here, how the 2025-26 Budget will support our farming community and...
T7. Ms Sugden asked the Minister of Finance to provide an update on his Department's work in the area of divorce, including the introduction of no-fault divorce. (AQT 1327/22-27)
T8. Mrs Mason asked the Minister of Finance how the 2025-26 Budget is supporting the extension of the childcare subsidy scheme to cover school-age children, which the Minister of Education...
T10. Mrs Guy asked the Minister of Finance to provide an update on the five-year financial sustainability plans that Departments need to produce as part of the Executive's Budget sustainability...
Mr Tennyson asked the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs for an update on the impact of the UK-EU summit on Northern Ireland.
Debate resumed on motion: That this Assembly approves the programme of expenditure proposals for 2025-26 as announced by the Minister of Finance on 3 April 2025 and set out in the Budget document...
The next item of business is a motion to approve a draft statutory rule.
I beg to move That, in accordance with Standing Order 33(4), the period referred to in Standing Order 33(2) be extended to 1 October 2025 in relation to the Committee Stage of the Deaths,...
