Minutes of Proceedings

Members observed two minutes’ silence.

2. Speaker’s Business

2.1 Royal Assent

The Principal Deputy Speaker informed Members that Royal Assent had been signified on 19 March 2014 to the Budget Act (Northern Ireland) 2014.

3. Executive Committee Business

3.1 Statement – North South Ministerial Council in Special EU Programmes Sectoral format

The Minister of Finance and Personnel, Mr Simon Hamilton, made a statement regarding the North South Ministerial Council Meeting in Special EU Programmes Sectoral format, following which he replied to questions.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr Dallat) took the Chair.

4. Private Members’ Business

4.1 Motion – Fostering Services

Proposed:

That this Assembly welcomes the recent Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority report on statutory fostering services and its recommendations; notes with concern the lack of a retention and support strategy for foster carers and the identified need for more investment to transform foster care to a modern, highly skilled, child-centred service; further notes the continued need to fully value the role of carers in looking after the most vulnerable children; and calls on the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to outline his plans and programme of investment to meet the needs of fostering services.

Miss M McIlveen
Mr J Wells

Debate ensued.

The Question being put, the Motion was carried without division.

The sitting was suspended at 1.53pm for Question Time.

The sitting resumed at 2.00pm, with the Deputy Speaker (Mr Beggs) in the Chair.

5. Question Time

5.1 Agriculture and Rural Development

Questions were put to, and answered by, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs Michelle O’Neill.

5.2 Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister 

Questions were put to, and answered by, the deputy First Minister, Mr Martin McGuinness. The junior Minister, Ms Jennifer McCann, also answered a number of questions. 

6. Private Members’ Business (Cont’d)

6.1 Motion – Housing Crisis

Proposed:

That this Assembly notes with concern that, in March 2013, there were 41,356 applicants registered on the social housing waiting list, with 22,414 deemed to be in housing stress and 9,878 accepted as statutorily homeless; further notes the Programme for Government 11-15 commitment to deliver 8,000 social and affordable homes will not match the current level of need; and calls on the Minister for Social Development to begin to tackle the housing crisis by committing to deliver an additional 4,000 social and affordable homes by the end of the current Programme for Government 11-15 period.

Mrs D Kelly
Mr A Maginness

6.2 Amendment 1

Proposed:

Leave out all after ‘homeless’ and insert:

‘and that some social housing falls below an expected quality and that this exacerbates the housing crisis; further notes the Programme for Government 11-15 commitment to deliver 8,000 social and affordable homes will not match the current level of need; believes that the segregation of housing contributes to an inflexible supply of housing and therefore to the housing crisis; calls on the Minister for Social Development to begin to tackle the housing crisis by committing to deliver an additional 4,000 social and affordable homes by the end of the current Programme for Government period; and further calls for the introduction of  legislation to facilitate shared housing and the role it can play in tackling the housing crisis.’

Mr S Dickson
Mr C Lyttle

6.3 Amendment 2

Proposed:

Leave out all after the first ‘homes’ and insert:

‘which was deemed by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive to meet identified need; and calls on the Minister for Social Development to continue working with the Housing Association movement to increase its capacity to provide an additional 1000 social and affordable homes over the Programme for Government period whilst also providing additional services to tenants.’

Ms P Bradley
Mr G Campbell
Mr T Clarke
Mr S Wilson

Debate ensued.

The Speaker took the Chair.

The Principal Deputy Speaker (Mr McLaughlin) took the Chair.

The Question being put, Amendment No. 1 was made (Division 1).

As Amendment No. 1 was made, the Question on Amendment No. 2 was not put.

The Question being put, the Motion, as amended, was carried without division.

7. Executive Committee Business

7.1 Motion – The draft Police Act 1997 (Criminal Record Certificates: Relevant Matters) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2014

Proposed:

That the draft Police Act 1997 (Criminal Record Certificates: Relevant Matters) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2014 be approved.

Minister of Justice

Debate ensued.

The Question being put, the Motion was carried without division.

8. Adjournment

Proposed:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

The Speaker

The Assembly adjourned at 5.35pm.

Mr William Hay
The Speaker

24 March 2014

Northern Ireland Assembly

24 March 2014
Division

Motion – Housing Crisis – Amendment 1

Proposed:

Leave out all after ‘homeless’ and insert:

‘and that some social housing falls below an expected quality and that this exacerbates the housing crisis; further notes the Programme for Government 11-15 commitment to deliver 8,000 social and affordable homes will not match the current level of need; believes that the segregation of housing contributes to an inflexible supply of housing and therefore to the housing crisis; calls on the Minister for Social Development to begin to tackle the housing crisis by committing to deliver an additional 4,000 social and affordable homes by the end of the current Programme for Government period; and further calls for the introduction of  legislation to facilitate shared housing and the role it can play in tackling the housing crisis.’

Mr S Dickson
Mr C Lyttle 

The Question was put and the Assembly divided.

Ayes: 54
Noes: 34

AYES

Mr Agnew, Mr Attwood, Mr Boylan, Ms Boyle, Mr D Bradley, Mr Brady, Mr Byrne, Mrs Cochrane, Mr Cree, Mr Dallat, Mrs Dobson, Mr Durkan, Mr Eastwood, Mr Elliott, Dr Farry, Mr Flanagan,
Mr Ford, Mr Gardiner, Mrs D Kelly, Mr G Kelly, Mr Kennedy, Mr Kinahan, Ms Lo, Mr Lynch,
Mr Lyttle, Mr McAleer, Ms J McCann, Mr McCarthy, Mr McCartney, Ms McCorley, Dr McDonnell, Mr McElduff, Ms McGahan, Mr McGimpsey, Mr McGlone, Mr M McGuinness, Mr McKay,
Mrs McKevitt, Mr McKinney, Ms Maeve McLaughlin, Mr McMullan, Mr A Maginness, Mr Maskey, Mr Milne, Mr Nesbitt, Ms Ní Chuilín, Mr Ó hOisín, Mr O'Dowd, Mrs O'Neill, Mrs Overend,
Mr P Ramsey, Mr Rogers, Mr Sheehan, Mr Swann.

Tellers for the Ayes: Mr McCarthy and Mr Rogers

NOES

Mr Allister, Mr Anderson, Mr Bell, Ms P Bradley, Mrs Cameron, Mr Campbell, Mr Clarke,
Mr Dunne, Mr Easton, Mrs Foster, Mr Frew, Mr Girvan, Mr Givan, Mr Hamilton, Mr Hilditch,
Mr Humphrey, Mr Irwin, Mr McCausland, Mr I McCrea, Mr D McIlveen, Miss M McIlveen,
Mr McQuillan, Lord Morrow, Mr Moutray, Mr Newton, Mr Poots, Mr G Robinson, Mr P Robinson, Mr Ross, Mr Spratt, Mr Storey, Mr Weir, Mr Wells, Mr Wilson.

Tellers for the Noes: Mr McQuillan and Mr G Robinson

The Amendment was made.

Northern Ireland Assembly

Papers Presented to the Assembly on
20 – 24 March 2014

1. Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly

2. Bills of the Northern Ireland Assembly

3. Orders in Council

4. Publications Laid in the Northern Ireland Assembly

DFP Minute on the Direction of Accruing Resources for the year ending 31 March 2014 (DFP)

Northern Ireland Audit Office Belfast Metropolitan College's Titanic Quarter PPP Project (NIAO)

Human Rights Guidance for the Northern Ireland Prison Service Conditions of Imprisonment by the Attorney General for Northern Ireland (Attorney General for Northern Ireland)

Human Rights Guidance for the Public Prosecution Service by the Attorney General for Northern Ireland (Attorney General for Northern Ireland)

5. Assembly Reports

6. Statutory Rules

S. R. 2014/82 The Annesborough Road, Lurgan (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2014 (DRD)

S. R. 2014/86 The Agriculture (Student fees) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014 (DARD)

S. R. 2014/92 The Single Common Market Organisation (Consequential Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014 (DARD)

S. R. 2014/93 The Occupational Pensions Schemes (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014 (DSD)

S. R. 2014/96 The Sea Fishing (Financial Assistance to Fishing Boats) Scheme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014 (DARD)

For Information Only:

S. R. 2014/76 (C.3) The Pensions (2008 No.2) (Commencement No.11) Order (Northern Ireland) 2014 (DSD)

S. R. 2014/84 The One-Way Traffic (Portrush) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2014 (DRD)

7. Written Ministerial Statements

Deagentisation of Rivers Agency - DARD

8. Consultation Documents

9. Departmental Publications

10.  Agency Publications

11.  Westminster Publications

12. Miscellaneous Publications