Minutes of Proceedings

The Assembly met at noon, the Speaker in the Chair.

1. Prayers

Members observed two minutes’ silence.

2. Matter of the Day

2.1 Kingsmill Inquest

Mr Jim Allister, under Standing Order 24, made a statement on the Kingsmill Inquest. Other Members were also called to speak on the matter.

3. Members’ Statements

Under Standing Order 24A, the following Members made a statement to the Assembly:

Mr Stephen Dunne
Mrs Cathy Mason
Ms Paula Bradshaw
Mr Robbie Butler
Mr Declan Kearney
Mr Daniel McCrossan
Mr Keith Buchanan
Mr Nick Mathison
Mr Harry Harvey
Mr Colm Gildernew
Mrs Deborah Erskine
Mr David Honeyford
Ms Sinead McLaughlin
Mr Alan Robinson
Mr Gerry Carroll
Mr Paul Frew

4. Public Petition

4.1 Completion of A1 Road Improvements

Mr Patrick Brown was granted leave, in accordance with Standing Order 22, to present a Public Petition on the Completion of A1 Road Improvements.

5. Assembly Business

5.1 Motion: Committee Membership

Proposed:

That Mr Robbie Butler replace Mr John Stewart as a member of the Business Committee.

Mr Doug Beattie
Mr Alan Chambers

The Question being put, the motion was carried.

The Principal Deputy Speaker took the Chair.

6. Ministerial Statement

6.1 Statement: Defective Premises

The Minister for Communities, Mr Gordon Lyons, made a statement regarding Defective Premises, following which he replied to questions.

7. Executive Committee Business

7.1 First Stage: Hospital Parking Charges Bill (NIA Bill 02/22-27)

A Bill to modify the operation of the Hospital Parking Charges Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 so as to postpone the ban on charging money for parking vehicles in hospital car parks.

The Hospital Parking Charges Bill (NIA Bill 02/22-27) passed First Stage and was ordered to be printed.

7.2 Motion: The draft Period Products (Department of Education Specified Public Service Bodies) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024

Proposed:

That the draft Period Products (Department of Education Specified Public Service Bodies) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 be approved.

Minister of Education

Debate ensued

The Question being put, the motion was carried.

8. Private Members’ Business

8.1 Motion: Reducing Child Poverty

Proposed:

That this Assembly expresses profound regret at the findings of the recent NI Audit Office report on Child Poverty, including the shocking finding that one in five children in Northern Ireland are living in relative poverty and nearly 10 per cent of households are unable to afford basic goods; calls on the Minister for Communities to lay before the Assembly, no later than September 2024, a comprehensive child poverty strategy which includes specific and measurable targets to reduce child poverty by the end of this mandate; and further calls on the Minister to work with the Minister of Finance to agree an ambitious ring-fenced budget to deliver on the aforementioned child poverty reduction targets by the end of this mandate.

Mr Matthew O’Toole
Ms Cara Hunter

Amendment:

Proposed:

Leave out all after ‘before the Assembly,’ and insert:
‘an integrated and comprehensive anti-poverty strategy underpinning a future Programme for Government, as agreed in previous mandates, to include specific and measurable targets to reduce child poverty with targeted prevention strategies, as well as robust monitoring mechanisms to measure outcomes and to enable data to be collated and analysed; and further calls on the Minister for Communities to work with the Minister of Finance to agree the necessary funding package to deliver on child poverty reduction targets by the end of this mandate.’

Ms Sian Mulholland
Ms Kellie Armstrong
Mr Nick Mathison

Debate ensued

The debate stood suspended for Question Time, the Speaker took the Chair.

9. Question Time

9.1 The Executive Office

Questions were put to, and answered by, the deputy First Minister, Mrs Emma Little-Pengelly. The junior Minister, Mrs Pam Cameron, also answered a number of questions.

9.2 Health

Questions were put to, and answered by, the Minister of Health, Mr Robin Swann.

10. Private Members’ Business (cont’d)

10.1 Motion: Reducing Child Poverty (cont’d)

Debate resumed on the motion and amendment.

The Deputy Speaker, Mr Blair, took the Chair.

The Question being put, the amendment was made (Division).

The Question being put, the motion as amended was carried.

The Speaker took the Chair.

11. Assembly Business (cont’d)

11.1 Motion: Extension of Sitting on Monday 15 April 2024 under Standing Order 10(3A)

Proposed:

That, in accordance with Standing Order 10(3A), the sitting on Monday 15 April 2024 be extended to no later than 7.30pm.

Mrs Sinéad Ennis
Mr Trevor Clarke
Ms Paula Bradshaw
Mr John Stewart
Mr Colin McGrath
Ms Claire Sugden

The Question being put, the motion was carried.

12. Private Members’ Business (cont’d)

12.1 Motion: Baby Loss Certificate Scheme and Pathology Service

Proposed:

That this Assembly acknowledges the grief, pain and trauma caused by the loss of a baby during pregnancy; recognises that the trauma felt is exacerbated by bereaved parents having to travel to England for a post-mortem due to the absence of a local perinatal and paediatric pathologist; further recognises the potential of an all-island paediatric pathology service so bereaved parents can access post-mortems on the island of Ireland; believes parents should have the option to have their child's memory recorded with an official certificate free of charge; and calls on the Minister of Finance to develop a Baby Loss Certificate Scheme for those parents that have lost a baby during pregnancy before 24 weeks.

Ms Liz Kimmins
Miss Órlaithí Flynn
Mrs Linda Dillon

Amendment:

Proposed:

Leave out from ‘further recognises’ to ‘Ireland’ and insert:
‘seeks the reinstatement of a regional paediatric pathology service in Northern Ireland, whilst recognising the potential for mutually beneficial cross-border cooperation; further recognises the need to urgently and sustainably address shortages in the perinatal and paediatric pathology workforce;’

Mrs Diane Dodds
Mr Alan Robinson

Debate ensued.

The Question being put, the amendment was made.

The Question being put, the motion as amended was carried.

13. Adjournment

Proposed:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

The Speaker

The Assembly adjourned at 6.23pm.

Mr Edwin Poots
The Speaker
15 April 2024

Northern Ireland Assembly

15 April 2024 - Division

Amendment: Reducing Child Poverty

Proposed:

Leave out all after ‘before the Assembly,’ and insert:

‘an integrated and comprehensive anti-poverty strategy underpinning a future Programme for Government, as agreed in previous mandates, to include specific and measurable targets to reduce child poverty with targeted prevention strategies, as well as robust monitoring mechanisms to measure outcomes and to enable data to be collated and analysed; and further calls on the Minister for Communities to work with the Minister of Finance to agree the necessary funding package to deliver on child poverty reduction targets by the end of this mandate.’

Ms Sian Mulholland
Ms Kellie Armstrong
Mr Nick Mathison

The Question was put and the Assembly divided.

Ayes: 57
Noes: 10

AYES

Mr Allister, Dr Archibald, Ms Armstrong, Mr Baker, Mr Beattie, Ms Bradshaw, Mr Brett, Miss Brogan, Mr Brooks, Ms Brownlee, Mr Brown, Mr K Buchanan, Mr Buckley, Mr Butler, Mrs Cameron, Mr Clarke, Mr Delargy, Mr Dickson, Mrs Dillon, Mrs Dodds, Mr Donnelly, Mr Dunne, Mr Easton, Ms Eastwood, Ms Egan, Mr Elliott, Mrs Ennis, Mrs Erskine, Mrs Ferguson, Miss Flynn, Mr Frew, Mr Gildernew, Miss Hargey, Mr Harvey, Mr Honeyford, Ms Kimmins, Mr Kingston, Mrs Little-Pengelly, Mr Lyons, Mr McAleer, Miss McAllister, Mr McGuigan, Miss McIlveen, Mr McReynolds, Mrs Mason, Mr Mathison, Mr Middleton, Mr Muir, Ms Mulholland, Miss Á Murphy, Mr Nesbitt, Mr O'Dowd, Ms O'Neill, Mr Robinson, Mr Sheehan, Ms Sheerin, Mr Tennyson.

Tellers for the Ayes: Ms Armstrong, Mr Mathison.

NOES

Mr Carroll, Mr Durkan, Ms Hunter, Mr McCrossan, Mr McGlone, Mr McGrath, Ms McLaughlin, Mr McNulty, Mr O'Toole, Ms Sugden.

Tellers for the Noes: Ms Hunter, Mr McGlone.

The amendment was made.

Northern Ireland Assembly

Papers Presented to the Assembly on 10 April 2024 to 15 April 2024.

1. Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly

2. Bills of the Northern Ireland Assembly

Hospital Parking Charges Bill (NIA Bill 02/22-27)

3. Orders in Council

4. Statutory Rules

SR 2024/0000 Draft SR - The Period Products (Department of Justice Specified Public Service Bodies) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department of Justice)

For information only

SR 2024/91 The Road Races (North West 200) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department for Infrastructure)

SR 2024/92 (C. 4) The Period Products (Free Provision) (2022 Act) (Commencement No.2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024 (The Executive Office)

SR 2024/0000 Draft SR - The Lay Magistrates (Eligibility) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department of Justice) (Revised SL5)

SR 2024/0000 Draft SR - The Period Products (Department of Justice Specified Public Service Bodies) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department of Justice)

5. Legislative Consent Memorandums

6. Assembly Reports

Report of the Examiner of Statutory Rules to the Assembly and the Appropriate Committee Eighth Report of Session 2023 – 2024 (Northern Ireland Assembly)

7. Written Ministerial Statements

Public Expenditure 2023-24 Final plan – Further Allocations (Department of Finance)

Public Expenditure 2023-24 Final Plan - Further Allocations (amended) (Department of Finance)

Further Education (FE) Lecturers’ Pay Dispute and Current Pay Offer (Department for the Economy)

8. Publications Laid in the Northern Ireland Assembly

General Teaching Council for NI 2022-2023 Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2023 (Department of Education)

Northern Ireland Central Investment Fund for Charities Annual Report and Accounts to 30 September 2023 (Department for Communities)

Charitable Donations and Bequests Accounts for the year ended March 2023 (Department for Communities)

9. Publications Presented in the Northern Ireland Assembly

Pollution Prevention and Control PPC District Councils Charging Scheme NI 2024 (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs)