Minutes of Proceedings

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:

Miss Nicola Brogan
Mr Paul Frew
Mr Stewart Dickson
Mr John Stewart
Mr Daniel McCrossan
Ms Sian Mulholland
Mr Tom Elliott
Mr Jim Allister
Mr Nick Mathison
Dr Steve Aiken
Mr Robin Swann

The Deputy Speaker, Dr Aiken, took the Chair.

3. Executive Committee Business

3.1 Motion: The draft Fisheries Act 2020 (Scheme for Financial Assistance) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024

Proposed:

That the draft Fisheries Act 2020 (Scheme for Financial Assistance) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 be approved.

Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

Debate ensued.

The Question being put, the motion was carried.

3.2 Motion: The draft Local Government (Remote Meetings) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024

Proposed:

That the draft Local Government (Remote Meetings) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 be approved.

Minister for Communities

Debate ensued.

The Question being put, the motion was carried.

4. Committee Business

4.1 Motion: Extension of Committee Stage – Pensions (Extension of Automatic Enrolment) Bill (NIA Bill 04/22-27)

Proposed:

That, in accordance with Standing Order 33(4), the period referred to in Standing Order 33(2) be extended to 8 November 2024, in relation to the Committee Stage of the Pensions (Extension of Automatic Enrolment) Bill.

Chairperson, Committee for Communities

Debate ensued.

The Question being put, the motion was carried.

5. Private Members’ Business

5.1 Motion: Retaining and Inspiring Young Talent

Proposed:

That this Assembly, while noting the educational and professional development opportunities for students studying away from home, regrets the large number of young people forced to leave Northern Ireland in order to pursue higher education who would otherwise wish to study and build lives here but are unable to; notes that the equivalent of a large university’s worth of students are studying in Britain and a high proportion are unlikely to return; acknowledges the negative societal and economic consequences of this trend, particularly on our low levels of productivity; further notes that this so-called ‘brain drain’ compounds the negative economic consequences of our low levels of educational attainment among school leavers; calls on the Minister for the Economy to work with the Minister of Education to develop a strategy to reduce the number of students leaving these shores who would otherwise wish to stay, including growing undergraduate spaces here, and collaborating with the Irish Government to increase the volume of cross-border undergraduate entrants; and further calls on the Minister to report to the Assembly on agreed actions not later than December 2024.

Mr Matthew OʹToole
Ms Sinéad McLaughlin
Ms Cara Hunter

Amendment:

Proposed:

Leave out all after ‘productivity;’ and insert:

‘and calls on the Minister for the Economy to develop a strategy to reduce the number of students leaving these shores who would otherwise wish to stay in Northern Ireland.’

Mr Phillip Brett
Mr Trevor Clarke
Mr David Brooks

Debate ensued.

The sitting was suspended at 1.51pm.

The sitting resumed at 2.00pm, the Principal Deputy Speaker in the Chair.

6. Question Time

6.1 The Executive Office

Questions were put to, and answered by, the First Minister, Ms Michelle OʹNeill. The Junior Minister, Ms Aisling Reilly, also answered a number of questions.

6.2 Economy

Questions were put to, and answered by, the Minister for the Economy, Mr Conor Murphy.

7. Private Members’ Business (cont’d)

7.1 Motion: Retaining and Inspiring Young Talent (cont’d)

Debate resumed.

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

8. Adjournment

Proposed:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

The Speaker

The Assembly adjourned at 4.12pm.

Mr Edwin Poots
The Speaker
24 June 2024

Northern Ireland Assembly

24 June 2024 – Division

Motion: Retaining and Inspiring Young Talent - Amendment

Proposed:

Leave out all after ‘productivity;’ and insert:

‘and calls on the Minister for the Economy to develop a strategy to reduce the number of students leaving these shores who would otherwise wish to stay in Northern Ireland.’

Mr Phillip Brett
Mr Trevor Clarke
Mr David Brooks

The Question was put and the Assembly divided.

Ayes: 21
Noes: 42

AYES

Mr Beattie, Mr Bradley, Mr Brett, Mr Brooks, Ms Brownlee, Ms Bunting, Mr Butler, Mrs Cameron, Mr Chambers, Mr Clarke, Mr Dunne, Mr Elliott, Mrs Erskine, Ms Forsythe, Mr Frew, Mr Harvey, Mr Kingston, Mrs Little-Pengelly, Mr Lyons, Mr Robinson, Mr Stewart.

Tellers for the Ayes: Mr Brooks, Mr Kingston.

NOES

Dr Archibald, Mr Baker, Ms Bradshaw, Miss Brogan, Mr Delargy, Mr Dickson, Mrs Dillon, Mr Donnelly, Mr Durkan, Ms Egan, Mrs Ennis, Mrs Ferguson, Miss Flynn, Mr Gildernew, Miss Hargey, Mr Honeyford, Ms Hunter, Mr Kelly, Ms Kimmins, Mr McAleer, Miss McAllister, Mr McCrossan, Mr McGlone, Mr McGuigan, Mr McHugh, Ms McLaughlin, Mr McMurray, Mr McNulty, Mrs Mason, Mr Mathison, Mr Muir, Ms Mulholland, Miss Á Murphy, Mr C Murphy, Ms Ní Chuilín, Ms Nicholl, Mr O'Dowd, Ms O'Neill, Mr O'Toole, Ms Reilly, Ms Sheerin, Mr Tennyson.

Tellers for the Noes: Ms Hunter, Ms McLaughlin

The amendment fell.

Northern Ireland Assembly

Papers Presented to the Assembly on 19 June 2024 to 24 June 2024.

1. Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly

2. Bills of the Northern Ireland Assembly

3. Orders in Council

4. Statutory Rules

SR 2024/134 The Lurgan Road, Portadown (Stopping-Up) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department for Infrastructure)

SR 2024/135 The Kings Lane, Warrenpoint (Stopping-Up) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department for Infrastructure)

SR 2024/136 The Occupational Pension Schemes (Collective Money Purchase Schemes) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department for Communities)

SR 2024/138 The Police Pensions (Remediable Service) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department of Justice)

For Information Only

SR 2024/6 The Child Support Fees (Revocation) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department for Communities)

SR 2024/189 The Child Support (Management of Payments and Arrears) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2023 (Department for Communities)

SR 2024/137 The Damages (Process for Setting Rate of Return) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department of Justice)

5. Legislative Consent Memorandums

6. Assembly Reports

7. Written Ministerial Statements

School Uniform Policy Consultation (Minister of Education)

8. Publications Laid in the Northern Ireland Assembly

Northern Ireland Main Estimates 2024-2025 (Department of Finance)

Northern Ireland Estimates, Statement of Excesses 2016-2017; 2018-2019; 2020-2021; 2021-2022; and 2022-2023 (Department of Finance)

Special EU Programmes Body Annual Report and Accounts 2021 (Department of Finance)

Review of the Defamation Act (NI) 2022 (Department of Finance)

Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21 (The Executive Office)

Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22 (The Executive Office)

Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 (The Executive Office)

9. Publications Presented to the Northern Ireland Assembly

Consultation on proposed Utility Regulator (Support for Decarbonisation Preparation) Bill (Department for the Economy)