Minutes of Proceedings
Session: Session currently unavailable
Date: 29 September 2025
The Assembly met at noon, the Speaker in the Chair.
1. Prayers
Members observed two minutes’ silence.
2. Matters of the Day
2.1 Digital ID Scheme
Ms Paula Bradshaw, under Standing Order 24, made a statement on a Digital ID Scheme. 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 Gerry Kelly
Ms Cheryl Brownlee
Mr John Blair
Mr Jon Burrows
Mr Matthew O’Toole
Miss Jemma Dolan
Mr Maurice Bradley
Mr Pat Sheehan
Mr Jonathan Buckley
Dr Steve Aiken
Mr Stephen Dunne
Mr Gerry Carroll
4. Assembly Business
4.1 Motion: Suspension of Standing Orders 10(2) to 10(4)
Proposed:
That Standing Orders 10(2) to 10(4) be suspended for 29 September 2025.
Business Committee
The motion was not moved.
5. Executive Committee Business
5.1 Further Consideration Stage: School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Bill (NIA Bill 12/22-27)
The Minister of Education, Mr Paul Givan, moved the Further Consideration Stage of the School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Bill (NIA Bill 12/22-27).
Twelve amendments were tabled to the Bill and selected for debate.
Debate ensued.
The sitting stood suspended at 1.51pm.
The sitting resumed at 2.00pm, the Deputy Speaker, Dr Aiken, took the Chair.
6. Question Time
6.1 Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
Questions were put to, and answered by, the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Mr Andrew Muir.
6.2 Education
Questions were put to, and answered by, the Minister of Education, Mr Paul Givan.
The Speaker took the Chair.
7. Executive Committee Business (cont’d)
7.1 Further Consideration Stage: School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Bill (NIA Bill 12/22-27) (cont’d)
Debate resumed.
Clauses
After debate, Amendment 1 to Clause 1 was made without division.
After debate, Amendment 2 to Clause 2 was made without division.
After debate, Amendment 3 to Clause 2 was made without division.
After debate, Amendment 4 inserting new clause ‘Clothing supplier agreements in guidelines’ was made without division and it was agreed that the new clause stand part of the Bill.
After debate, Amendment 5 to leave out Clause 5 was made without division.
After debate, Amendment 6 to Clause 6 was made without division.
After debate, Amendment 7 to Clause 8 was made without division.
After debate, Amendment 8 to Clause 8 was negatived on division (Division).
After debate, Amendment 9 to Clause 8 was made without division.
After debate, Amendment 10 to Clause 8 was made without division.
After debate, Amendment 11 inserting new clause ‘Laying of guidelines’ was made without division and it was agreed that the new clause stand part of the Bill.
After debate, Amendment 12 inserting new clause ‘Reporting on guidelines and costs’ was made without division and it was agreed that the new clause stand part of the Bill.
The School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Bill (NIA Bill 12/22-27) stood referred to the Speaker in accordance with Section 10 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
8. Assembly Business
8.1 Motion: Extension of Sitting on Monday 29 September 2025 under Standing Order 10(3A)
Proposed:
That, in accordance with Standing Order 10(3A), the sitting on Monday 29 September 2025 be extended to no later than 9.30pm.
Business Committee
The Question being put, the motion was carried.
The Principal Deputy Speaker took the Chair.
9. Private Members’ Business
9.1 Motion: Endometriosis Care
Proposed:
That this Assembly notes that endometriosis is a serious, chronic inflammatory disease affecting at least one in ten women across the island, with evidence suggesting the number may be higher; further notes the disease often causes severe pelvic pain, infertility, internal scarring, and damage to multiple organs, yet it takes an average of eight to nine years for patients to receive a diagnosis; acknowledges that the neglect of endometriosis care highlights wider systemic failures in women's healthcare; recognises that international best practice confirms that specialist-led excision surgery, delivered within a multidisciplinary model of care, provides the best outcomes; calls on the Minister of Health to urgently look at the potential for specialist services with targets for diagnosis and treatment; and further calls on the Minister to engage with his Ministerial counterpart in Dublin to develop a joined-up cross-border approach to endometriosis care which can harness the relevant medical expertise on the island for better women's health outcomes.
Mrs Linda Dillon
Mr Philip McGuigan
Miss Órlaithí Flynn
Amendment:
Proposed:
At end insert:
‘; and calls on the Minister to urgently bring forward the Women's Health Action Plan.’
Miss Nuala McAllister
Mr Danny Donnelly
Debate ensued.
The Question being put, the amendment was made.
The Question being put, the motion, as amended, was carried.
The Deputy Speaker, Mr Blair, took the Chair.
9.2 Motion: Addressing the Failure to Deliver a Northern Ireland Aviation Strategy
Proposed:
That this Assembly notes with concern the ongoing failure of the Department for the Economy to develop and publish an aviation policy or strategy for Northern Ireland; highlights that this delay is holding back economic development, undermining opportunities for investment, tourism, and business competitiveness; stresses that airports across Northern Ireland each have a vital role to play in promoting export growth; further stresses that any future aviation strategy must treat all airports equitably; calls on the Minister for the Economy to publish a comprehensive aviation strategy for Northern Ireland, including measurable targets and specific proposals for a route development fund, within the next three months; and further calls on the Minister to outline what progress has been made towards increasing external sales intensity from 45 per cent to 60 per cent of GDP by 2030, as envisaged by the Northern Ireland Export Forum.
Mr Phillip Brett
Mr Gary Middleton
Mr Jonathan Buckley
Amendment:
Proposed:
Leave out all after ‘must treat all’ and insert:
‘main Northern Ireland airports equitably; calls on the Minster for the Economy to put priority on promotion of travel to Northern Ireland through our own airports and direct Tourism NI and our representatives on Tourism Ireland to ensure that Dublin Airport is not being promoted over Belfast International and Belfast City Airports; further calls on the Minister to engage with United States officials on the establishment of an immigration and customs pre-clearance facility for the United States of America at Belfast International Airport; and calls on the Minister to promote the facilities at Belfast International Airport in order to increase the number of trans-Atlantic cargo flights and encourage greater use of the airport by the United States Government.’
Dr Steve Aiken
Ms Diana Armstrong
Mr Robbie Butler
Debate ensued.
The Question being put, the amendment was negatived.
The Question being put, the motion was carried.
10. Adjournment
Proposed:
That the Assembly do now adjourn.
The Speaker
The Assembly adjourned at 6.37 pm.
Mr Edwin Poots
The Speaker
29 September 2025
Northern Ireland Assembly
Proxy Voting Notifications
In line with Standing Order 27A, Ms Kate Nicholl arranged for her vote to be exercised by a proxy (Ms Paula Bradshaw) during the period 31 March 2025 to 28 December 2025.
In line with Standing Order 27A, Mrs Deborah Erskine arranged for her vote to be exercised by a proxy (Mr Trevor Clarke) during the period 15 September 2025 to 14 June 2026.
Northern Ireland Assembly
29 September 2025 – Division
Amendment 8 - Further Consideration Stage: School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Bill (NIA Bill 12/22-27)
Proposed:
Clause 8, Page 4, Line 36
After ‘to’ insert ‘undue’
Minister of Education
The Question was put and the Assembly divided.
Ayes: 32
Noes: 43
AYES
Dr Aiken, Mr Beattie, Mr Bradley, Mr Brett, Mr Brooks, Ms Brownlee, Mr K Buchanan, Mr T Buchanan, Mr Buckley, Ms Bunting, Mr Burrows, Mr Butler, Mrs Cameron, Mr Chambers, Mr Clarke, Mr Dunne, Mrs Erskine, Ms Forsythe, Mr Frew, Mr Gaston, Mr Givan, Mr Harvey, Mr Irwin, Mr Kingston, Mrs Little-Pengelly, Mr Lyons, Miss McIlveen, Mr Martin, Mr Middleton, Mr Nesbitt, Mr Robinson, Mr Stewart.
Tellers for the Ayes: Mr Brooks, Mr Middleton.
NOES
Mr Baker, Mr Blair, Ms Bradshaw, Miss Brogan, Mr Carroll, Mr Delargy, Mr Dickson, 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, 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, Ms Mulholland, Miss Murphy, Ms Ní Chuilín, Ms Nicholl, Mr O'Toole, Mr Sheehan, Ms Sheerin, Mr Tennyson.
Tellers for the Noes: Mrs Guy, Mr Mathison.
The amendment fell.
Votes cast by proxy:
Ms Nicholl’s vote was cast by Ms Bradshaw.
Mrs Erskine’s vote was cast by Mr Clarke.
Northern Ireland Assembly
Papers Presented to the Assembly on 24 September 2025 to 29 September 2025
1. Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly
2. Bills of the Northern Ireland Assembly
3. Orders in Counci
4. Statutory Rules
SR 2025/154 The U324 Cannyreagh Road, Donaghadee (Stopping-Up) Order (Northern Ireland) 2025 (Department for Infrastructure)
SR 2025/155 The Mill Avenue, Belfast (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2025 (Department for Infrastructure)
SR 2025/156 The U1105 Killybracken Road, Dungannon (Abandonment and Stopping-Up) Order (Northern Ireland) 2025 (Department for Infrastructure)
SR 2025/158 The Recovery of Health Services Charges (Amounts) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025 (Department of Health)
For Information Only
SR 2025/152 The Parking and Waiting Restrictions (Belfast) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2025 (Department for Infrastructure)
SR 2025/153 The Loading Bays on Roads (Amendment No. 2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2025 (Department for Infrastructure)
SR 2025/157 The Roads (Speed Limit) (No. 3) Order (Northern Ireland) 2025 ((Department for Infrastructure)
SR 2025/159 Control of Traffic (Island Street Area, Belfast) 2025 (Department for Infrastructure)
5. Legislative Consent Memorandums
Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs)
6. Assembly Reports
Report of the Examiner of Statutory Rules to the Assembly and the Appropriate Committees Forty-fifth Report 29 September 2025 (NIA 119 22-27) (Examiner of Statutory Rules)
7. Written Ministerial Statements
8. Publications Laid in the Northern Ireland Assembly
Public Income and Expenditure Account for the year ended 31 March 2025 (Department of Finance)
Report by the Comptroller ad Auditor General Active Travel in NI (Northern Ireland Audit Office)
Northern Ireland Water Annual Integrated Report & Accounts 2024/25 (Department for Infrastructure)
9. Publications Presented in the Northern Ireland Assembly
Letter to formally withdraw the Tourism Northern Ireland Minute on Liabilities (Department for the Economy)
