Marshalled List of Amendments

Monday 03 November 2025

Item 5: Order Paper 129/22-27 - Monday 03 November 2025

Motion: Cervical Screening Scandal Inquiry

Proposed:

That this Assembly expresses concern at the lack of transparency, delay and slow pace of the investigations and reviews into both individual patients and the overall cervical screening scandal by the Department of Health and the Southern Health and Social Care Trust; recognises the steps taken by the Department of Health and the Southern Health and Social Care Trust regarding the recall of women for cervical screening; pays tribute to the Ladies with Letters campaigners who have fought hard for transparency in the issues that led to the underperformance of screeners and the recall of the slides of 17,500 women in the Southern Health and Social Care Trust area; acknowledges that, for some patients, the review was too late and lives were affected by this failure; and calls on the Minister of Health to establish a statutory public inquiry in order to uncover the full truth, establish accountability and ensure that such failures never arise again.

Miss Nuala McAllister

Mr Danny Donnelly

Ms Paula Bradshaw

Mrs Michelle Guy

Amendment

Leave out all after 'Southern Health and Social Care Trust area;' and insert:

'acknowledges that, for some patients, the review was too late and lives were lost following this failure; notes with alarm the ongoing technical issues with equipment at Northern Ireland's only laboratory for HPV screening in the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust; highlights that this has resulted in thousands of smear tests being sent to England for screening since 30 September 2025, creating the potential for further delay, backlogs and distress to the women affected; calls on the Minister of Health to urgently clarify when this vital equipment will be fully operational; and further calls on the Minister to establish a statutory public inquiry in order to uncover the full truth, establish accountability and ensure that such failures in the Southern Health and Social Care Trust, and throughout Northern Ireland, never arise again.'

[Mrs Diane Dodds]

[Mr Alan Robinson]

Motion: Delivery of a Childcare Strategy

Proposed:

That this Assembly recognises that the commitment to delivering more affordable, accessible, high-quality early learning and childcare is an immediate priority within the Executive's Programme for Government and that the Executive has provided £80 million towards childcare support measures during the last two financial years; further recognises that many families continue to struggle with the cost of childcare alongside their other bills; acknowledges the challenges facing the childcare sector in terms of recruitment and retention; regrets the delays by the Minister of Education in bringing forward the Early Learning and Childcare Strategy; calls on the Minister of Education to commit to publishing the long-awaited Early Learning and Childcare Strategy by the end of 2025; and further calls on the Minister to commit to a Strategy that delivers high-quality, affordable childcare that meets the needs of all children, including those with special educational needs, physical disabilities, children in Irish-medium education, and those for whom English is not a first language.

Mrs Cathy Mason

Ms Emma Sheerin

Miss Áine Murphy

Mr Pat Sheeran

Amendment

Leave out all after 'recruitment and retention;' and insert:

'considers that cross-departmental collaboration is essential to the success of any strategy, including delivery from the review of Minimum Standards for Childminding and Day Care for Children Under Age 12 being taken forward by the Minister of Health and proposed support for the childcare sector being taken forward by the Minister for the Economy; further acknowledges the requirement for an early learning and childcare strategy that meets the needs of all children, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, children in Irish-medium education, and those for whom English is not a first language, ensures that parents and carers can pursue education, training or work and delivers a workforce plan that promotes early learning and childcare as an attractive and rewarding career pathway and ensures those in the sector are valued, have access to training and development and are paid fairly; and calls on the Minister of Education to publish a such a strategy with a fully costed action plan that ensures high-quality, affordable childcare, as required by all children.'

[Mrs Michelle Guy]

[Mr Nick Mathison]

[Ms Kate Nicholl]