Minutes of Proceedings
Session: Session currently unavailable
Date: 17 June 2024
The Assembly met at noon, the Speaker in the Chair.
1. Prayers
Members observed two minutes’ silence.
2. Members’ Statements
Under Standing Order 24A, the following Members made a statement to the Assembly:
Mr Gerry Kelly
Mr Stephen Dunne
Ms Paula Bradshaw
Mr Robin Swann
Mr Daniel McCrossan
Mr Pat Sheehan
Mr Phillip Brett
Ms Sian Mulholland
Mr Paul Frew
Mr Jim Allister
Ms Connie Egan
3. Public Petition
Increase Carer’s Allowance in Northern Ireland
Mr Daniel McCrossan was granted leave, in accordance with Standing Order 22, to present a Public Petition on Carer’s Allowance in Northern Ireland.
4. Assembly Business
Motion: Committee Membership
Proposed:
That Mr Doug Beattie replace Mr Mike Nesbitt as a member of the Committee for the Economy.
Mr Robbie Butler
Mr Tom Elliott
The Question being put, the motion was carried.
5. Executive Committee Business
5.1 First Stage: Child Support Enforcement Bill (NIA Bill 05/22-27)
A Bill to make provision as to the enforcement of payments of particular amounts due by virtue of certain child support and maintenance legislation.
The Child Support Enforcement Bill (NIA Bill 05/22-27) passed First Stage and was ordered to be printed.
5.2 Motion: The draft Damages (Process for Setting Rate of Return) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024
Proposed:
That the draft Damages (Process for Setting Rate of Return) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 be approved.
Minister of Justice
Debate ensued.
The Deputy Speaker, Dr Aiken, took the Chair.
The Question being put, the motion was carried.
6. Private Members’ Business
6.1 Motion: Promoting On-farm Investment
Proposed:
That this Assembly believes investment in new and replacement farm buildings is essential to improving agriculture’s environmental footprint in Northern Ireland; criticises the decision to drop the published Ammonia Standing Advice used by the NIEA to assess the air quality impacts associated with many planning applications; recalls that this decision was made without Ministerial approval or prior consultation; notes with concern recent research conducted by KPMG on behalf of the Northern Ireland agri-food industry, which found that more stringent ammonia regulation could lead to fewer successful planning applications, a 20 to 25 per cent decline in on-farm investment and reduce family farm incomes by up to 38 per cent in some sectors; calls on the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to acknowledge that the investment in, and modernisation of, farm facilities will promote animal welfare and reduce future emissions; further calls on the Minister to reject policies which constrain plans to invest in and modernise farm facilities; and calls on the Minister to place the needs of primary producers and consultation with the agri-food industry at the forefront of any new ammonia strategy.
Miss Michelle McIlveen
Mr Tom Buchanan
Mr William Irwin
Debate ensued.
The debate stood suspended for Question Time, the Speaker took the Chair.
7. Question Time
7.1 Justice
Questions were put to, and answered by, the Minister of Justice, Mrs Naomi Long.
7.2 Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
Questions were put to, and answered by, the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Mr Andrew Muir.
8. Question for Urgent Oral Answer
8.1 Police Ombudsman's Office: Operational Capacity
The Minister of Justice, Mrs Naomi Long, responded to a Question for Urgent Oral Answer tabled by Mr Doug Beattie.
The Deputy Speaker, Dr Aiken, took the Chair.
9. Private Members’ Business (cont’d)
9.1 Motion: Promoting On-farm Investment (cont’d)
Debate resumed.
The Question being put, the motion was carried (Division).
9.2 Motion: All-Island Cancer Research Co-operation
Proposed:
That this Assembly notes the recent report from the All-Island Cancer Research Institute on the state of the oncology research industry; recognises the need for greater cooperation in cancer research on the island of Ireland; further recognises that clinical experts in this field have stated that developing “Oncology Innovation Clusters” by pooling resources, could help to drive research and investment in oncology, domestically and internationally; calls on the Department of Health to engage meaningfully with the Department of Health in Dublin to consider opportunities for increasing North-South cooperation in delivering innovative research into cancer prevention, treatments and interventions on the island; and further calls on the Minister of Health to subsequently update the Committee for Health on that engagement.
Ms Liz Kimmins
Mrs Linda Dillon
Miss Órlaithí Flynn
Amendment:
Proposed:
Leave out all after ‘cooperation in cancer research’ and insert:
‘with both the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland; further recognises that clinical experts in this field have stated that developing Oncology Innovation Clusters by pooling resources, could help to drive research and investment in oncology, domestically and internationally; calls on the Department of Health to engage meaningfully with the respective Departments of Health in London and Dublin to consider opportunities for increasing both East-West and North-South cooperation in delivering innovative research into cancer prevention, treatments and interventions in the British Isles; and further calls on the Minister of Health to develop a Northern Ireland Cancer Research Strategy and subsequently update the Committee for Health with a progress report on this issue.’
Mrs Diane Dodds
Mr Alan Robinson
Debate ensued.
The Deputy Speaker, Mr Blair, took the Chair.
The Question being put, the amendment was made.
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 4.53pm.
Mr Edwin Poots
The Speaker
17 June 2024
Northern Ireland Assembly
17 June 2024 – Division
Motion: Promoting On-farm Investment
Proposed:
That this Assembly believes investment in new and replacement farm buildings is essential to improving agriculture’s environmental footprint in Northern Ireland; criticises the decision to drop the published Ammonia Standing Advice used by the NIEA to assess the air quality impacts associated with many planning applications; recalls that this decision was made without Ministerial approval or prior consultation; notes with concern recent research conducted by KPMG on behalf of the Northern Ireland agri-food industry, which found that more stringent ammonia regulation could lead to fewer successful planning applications, a 20 to 25 per cent decline in on-farm investment and reduce family farm incomes by up to 38 per cent in some sectors; calls on the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to acknowledge that the investment in, and modernisation of, farm facilities will promote animal welfare and reduce future emissions; further calls on the Minister to reject policies which constrain plans to invest in and modernise farm facilities; and calls on the Minister to place the needs of primary producers and consultation with the agri-food industry at the forefront of any new ammonia strategy.
Miss Michelle McIlveen
Mr Tom Buchanan
Mr William Irwin
The Question was put and the Assembly divided.
Ayes: 50
Noes: 18
AYES
Mr Allister, Dr Archibald, Mr Baker, Mr Beattie, Mr Bradley, Miss Brogan, Mr Brooks, Ms Brownlee, Mr T Buchanan, Ms Bunting, Mr Butler, Mr Chambers, Mr Clarke, Mr Delargy, Mrs Dillon, Mrs Dodds, Mr Dunne, Mr Elliott, Mrs Ennis, Mrs Erskine, Mrs Ferguson, Miss Flynn, Ms Forsythe, Mr Frew, Mr Gildernew, Mr Givan, Miss Hargey, Mr Harvey, Mr Irwin, Mr Kelly, Ms Kimmins, Mr Kingston, Mr Lyons, Mr McAleer, Mr McGuigan, Miss McIlveen, Mr McNulty, Mrs Mason, Miss Á Murphy, Mr C Murphy, Mr Nesbitt, Ms Ní Chuilín, Mr O'Dowd, Ms O'Neill, Ms Reilly, Mr Robinson, Mr Sheehan, Ms Sheerin, Mr Stewart, Ms Sugden.
Tellers for the Ayes: Mr Brooks, Mr T Buchanan.
NOES
Mr Blair, Ms Bradshaw, Mr Dickson, Mr Donnelly, Mr Durkan, Ms Egan, Mr Honeyford, Mrs Long, Miss McAllister, Ms McLaughlin, Mr McMurray, Mr McReynolds, Mr Mathison, Mr Muir, Ms Mulholland, Ms Nicholl, Mr O'Toole, Mr Tennyson.
Tellers for the Noes: Ms Egan, Mr Tennyson
The motion was carried.
Northern Ireland Assembly
Papers Presented to the Assembly on 12 June 2024 to 17 June 2024.
1. Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly
2. Bills of the Northern Ireland Assembly
3. Orders in Council
4. Statutory Rules
SR 2024/130 The Firefighters’ Pension Schemes and Compensation Scheme (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department of Health)
SR 2024/131 The Pensions (2005 Order) (Codes of Practice) (Revocation) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department for Communities)
SR 2024/133 The Dangerous Dogs (Designated Types) Order (Northern Ireland) Order 2024 (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs)
For Information Only
SR 2024/129 The Waiting Restrictions (Royal Hillsborough) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department for Infrastructure)
SR 2024/78 The Occupational Pension Schemes (Master Trusts) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department for Communities)
SR 2024/132 The Pensions (2005 Order) (Code of Practice) (General) (Appointed Day, Amendment and Revocations) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department for Communities)
5. Legislative Consent Memorandums
6. Assembly Reports
Inquiry report on Regulation (EU) 2024/1252 establishing a framework for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials and amending Regulations (EU) No 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, (EU) 2018/1724 and (EU) 2019/1020 (Windsor Framework Democratic Scrutiny Committee) (NIA 33/22-27)
Mental Health Services in Northern Ireland (Public Accounts Committee) (NIA 39/22-27)
Report of the Examiner of Statutory Rules to the Assembly and the Appropriate Committee Eighteenth Report of Session 2023 – 2024 (Northern Ireland Assembly) (NIA 40/22-27)
