Minutes of Proceedings

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

1. Prayers

Members observed two minutes’ silence.

2. Speaker’s Business

2.1 Ministerial Statement

The Speaker informed Members that he had received correspondence from the Minister of Justice to advise that she was unable to be in the Chamber for that day’s business and that she had rescheduled her oral statement on the Katie Simpson Review to Tuesday 5 May.

3. Matter of the Day

3.1 Car Bomb at Dunmurry Police Station

Mr Timothy Gaston, under Standing Order 24, made a statement on the Car Bomb at Dunmurry Police Station. Other Members were also called to speak on the matter.

4. Members’ Statements

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

Mr Pat Sheehan
Mr Stephen Dunne
Ms Kate Nicholl
Dr Steve Aiken
Mr Daniel McCrossan
Mr Declan McAleer
Ms Diane Forsythe
Mr Nick Mathison
Mr Colm Gildernew
Mr Jonathan Buckley
Mr Andrew McMurray
Mr Matthew O’Toole

The Principal Deputy Speaker took the Chair.

5. Executive Committee Business

5.1 Second Stage: Petroleum Exploration and Licensing (Repeal) Bill (NIA Bill 31/22-27)

The Minister for the Economy, Dr Caoimhe Archibald, moved the Second Stage of the Petroleum Exploration and Licensing (Repeal) Bill (NIA Bill 31/22-27).

Debate ensued.

The Petroleum Exploration and Licensing (Repeal) Bill (NIA Bill 31/22-27) passed Second Stage.

5.2 Motion: The draft Climate Change (Just Transition Commission) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026

Proposed:

That the draft Climate Change (Just Transition Commission) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026 be approved.

Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

Debate ensued.

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

6. Question Time

6.1 The Executive Office

Questions were put to, and answered by, the First Minister, Ms Michelle O’Neill.

6.2 Education

Questions were put to, and answered by, the Minister of Education, Mr Paul Givan.

The Deputy Speaker, Dr Aiken, took the Chair.

7. Executive Committee Business (cont’d)

7.1 Motion: The draft Climate Change (Just Transition Commission) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026 (cont’d)

Debate resumed.

The Question being put, the motion was carried (Division).

8. Committee Business

8.1 Motion: Extension of Committee Stage – Criminal Justice (Sentencing etc) Bill (NIA Bill 26/22-27)

Proposed:

That, in accordance with Standing Order 33(4), the period referred to in Standing Order 33(2) be extended to 27 November 2026, in relation to the Committee Stage of the Criminal Justice (Sentencing etc) Bill.

Chairperson, Committee for Justice

Debate ensued.

The Question being put, the motion was carried.

9. Private Members’ Business

9.1 First Stage: Hunting with Dogs Bill (NIA Bill 33/22-27)

Mr John Blair introduced a Bill to prohibit hunting wild mammals with dogs; to prohibit trail hunting; to prohibit terrier work; and to set out exemptions from these prohibitions.

The Hunting with Dogs Bill (NIA Bill 33/22-27) passed First Stage and was ordered to be printed.

9.2 Motion: Bovine Tuberculosis

Proposed:

That this Assembly recognises that high levels of animal disease, including bovine Tuberculosis (bTB), undermine environmental sustainability by increasing resource use per unit of food produced and contributing to higher greenhouse gas emissions; notes figures from the Public Health Agency, as reported in the Irish Farmers Journal, indicating that 86 human TB cases were notified in 2024, an increase on previous years; acknowledges the implications of bTB for public health, farmers mental health and wellbeing, and animal welfare; further acknowledges that the financial cost of bTB is substantial, with estimates exceeding £60 million per year, placing pressure on the agricultural sector and public finances; further notes the potential wider economic impacts on agri-food supply chains, rural employment, domestic food security, and the competitiveness of agri-food exports; acknowledges the publication of the TB Partnership Group’s Blueprint to Eradicate bTB; welcomes the allocation of additional funding to tackle bTB through the Shared Island Initiative launched last year; and calls on the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to take immediate action to eradicate bTB, including the implementation of wildlife intervention, without further delay

Mr Declan McAleer
Miss Áine Murphy
Ms Aoife Finnegan

Amendment:

Leave out all after ‘previous years;’ and insert:

‘further notes that three bTB cases were reported in Northern Ireland in 2024; acknowledges the implications of bTB for public health, farmers mental health and wellbeing, and animal welfare; further acknowledges that the financial cost of bTB is substantial, with estimates exceeding £60 million per year, placing pressure on the agricultural sector and public finances; notes the Andersons Centre’s March 2026 assessment that farmers bear the largest share of the full economic cost of bTB; further notes the potential wider economic impacts on agri-food supply chains, rural employment, local livestock marts, domestic food security, and the competitiveness of agri-food exports; acknowledges the publication of the TB Partnership Group’s Blueprint to Eradicate bTB; welcomes the allocation of additional funding to tackle bTB through the Shared Island Initiative launched last year, while also recognising the concerns raised by the Ulster Farmers’ Union that the pilot area is not representative of the Northern Ireland bTB picture as a whole; and calls on the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to take immediate action to eradicate bTB, including the implementation of wildlife intervention, without further delay.’

Miss Michelle McIlveen
Mr Tom Buchanan
Mr Gareth Wilson

Debate ensued.

The Question being put, the amendment was agreed.

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

10. Adjournment

Proposed:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

The Speaker

The Assembly adjourned at 5.53pm.

Mr Edwin Poots
The Speaker
27 April 2026

Northern Ireland Assembly

Proxy Voting Notifications

In line with Standing Order 27A, Miss Nicola Brogan arranged for her vote to be exercised by a proxy (Mrs Sinéad Ennis) during the period 11 November 2025 to 10 August 2026.

Northern Ireland Assembly

27 April 2026 – Division

Motion: The draft Climate Change (Just Transition Commission) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026

Proposed:

That the draft Climate Change (Just Transition Commission) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026 be approved.

Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

The Question was put and the Assembly divided.

Ayes: 54
Noes: 20

AYES

Mr Allen, Dr Archibald, Ms D Armstrong, Ms K Armstrong, Mr Baker, Mr Beattie, Mr Blair, Miss Brogan, Mr Burrows, Mr Butler, Mr Delargy, Mrs Dillon, Miss Dolan, Mr Donnelly, Mr Durkan, Ms Egan, Mrs Ennis, Mrs Ferguson, Ms Finnegan, Miss Flynn, Mr Gildernew, Mrs Guy, Miss Hargey, Mr Honeyford, Mr Kearney, Mr Kelly, Ms Kimmins, Mr McAleer, Miss McAllister, Mr McCrossan, Mr McGlone, Mr McGrath, Mr McGuigan, Mr McHugh, Ms McLaughlin, Mr McMurray, Mr McNulty, Mr McReynolds, Mrs Mason, Mr Mathison, Mr Muir, Ms Mulholland, Miss Murphy, Mr Nesbitt, Ms Nicholl, Mr O'Dowd, Ms O'Neill, Mr O'Toole, Ms Reilly, Mr Sheehan, Ms Sheerin, Mr Stewart, Ms Sugden, Mr Tennyson.
Tellers for the Ayes: Mr Blair, Mr Donnelly.

NOES

Mr Bradley, Mr Brett, Mr Brooks, Ms Brownlee, Mr K Buchanan, Mr Buckley, Mrs Cameron, Mr Clarke, Mrs Dodds, Mr Dunne, Mrs Erskine, Ms Forsythe, Mr Frew, Mr Gaston, Mr Harvey, Mr Kingston, Miss McIlveen, Mr Martin, Mr Robinson, Mr Wilson.
Tellers for the Noes: Ms Forsythe, Mr Wilson.

The motion was carried.

Votes cast by proxy:

Miss Brogan’s vote was cast by Mrs Ennis.

Northern Ireland Assembly

Papers Presented to the Assembly on 22 April 2026 to 27 April 2026.

1. Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly

2. Bills of the Northern Ireland Assembly

Hunting with Dogs Bill (NIA Bill 33/22-27)

3. Orders in Council

4. Statutory Rules

SR 2026/80 The Planning (General Permitted Development) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2026 (Department for Infrastructure)

5. Legislative Consent Memorandums

6. Assembly Reports

Report of the Examiner of Statutory Rules to the Assembly and the Appropriate Committees Sixty-third Report (NIA 166/22-27) (Examiner of Statutory Rules)

7. Written Ministerial Statements

Launch of Museum Policy Consultation (Department for Communities)

8. Publications Laid in the Northern Ireland Assembly

Charitable Donations and Bequests Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025 (Department for Communities)

Independent Autism Reviewer for Northern Ireland Annual Report Sept 2024 – Mar 2026 (Department of Health)

9. Publications Presented in the Northern Ireland Assembly

Partnership Agreement between The Executive Office and the Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission (The Executive Office)

Department of Finance Memorandum on the Twelfth Report from the Public Accounts Committee Mandate 2022-2027 - Homelessness in Northern Ireland (Department of Finance)