Minutes of Proceedings

The Assembly met at 10.30am, the Speaker in the Chair.

1. Prayers

Members observed two minutes’ silence.

2. Speaker’s Business

2.1 Deputy Chairperson Appointment

The Speaker informed Members that he had received notification from Mrs Sinéad Ennis of her resignation as Deputy Chairperson of the Committee for Justice. The Speaker further informed Members that he had received notification from the nominating officer for Sinn Féin that Miss Deirdre Hargey had been nominated as the Deputy Chair of the Committee for Justice, taking effect from 28 May 2024.

2.2 Ministerial Appointments

The Speaker informed Members that the nominating officer for Sinn Féin had nominated Mr Conor Murphy to replace Miss Deirdre Hargey as Minister for the Economy and that Mr Murphy had accepted the nomination and affirmed the Pledge of Office in the presence of the Speaker and the Clerk/Chief Executive on Tuesday 28 May 2024. The Speaker also informed Members that he had been notified by the nominating officer for the Ulster Unionist Party that, with effect from 11.59pm that evening, Mr Mike Nesbitt had been nominated to replace Mr Robin Swann as Minister of Health.

3. Members’ Statements

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

Mr Declan Kearney
Mr Gary Middleton
Ms Paula Bradshaw
Mr Maolíosa McHugh
Mr Phillip Brett
Mr Matthew O’Toole
Ms Emma Sheerin
Mr Gerry Carroll
Mr Paul Frew
Mr Daniel McCrossan
Mr Jim Allister

4. Public Petition

Dean Maguirc College Enrolment Cap

Mr Declan McAleer was granted leave, in accordance with Standing Order 22, to present a Public Petition on the Dean Maguirc College Enrolment Cap.

5. Assembly Business

Motion: Committee Membership

Proposed:

That Mr Patsy McGlone replace Ms Cara Hunter as a member of the Business Committee; that Ms Cara Hunter replace Mr Matthew O’Toole as a member of the Committee on Procedures; and Mr Matthew O’Toole replace Ms Cara Hunter as a member of the Assembly and Executive Review Committee.

Mr Colin McGrath
Mr Daniel McCrossan

The Question being put, the motion was carried.

6. Executive Committee Business

6.1 Motion: The draft Period Products (Department for Infrastructure Specified Public Service Bodies) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024

Proposed:

That the draft Period Products (Department for Infrastructure Specified Public Service Bodies) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 be approved.

Minister for Infrastructure

Debate ensued.

The Deputy Speaker, Mr Blair, took the Chair.

The Question being put, the motion was carried.

6.2 Motion: The Pensions Dashboards (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2023

Proposed:

That the Pensions Dashboards (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2023 be approved.

Minister for Communities

Debate ensued.

The Question being put, the motion was carried.

6.3 Motion: The draft Human Medicines (Amendments relating to Registered Dental Hygienists, Registered Dental Therapists and Registered Pharmacy Technicians) Regulations 2024

Proposed:

That the draft Human Medicines (Amendments relating to Registered Dental Hygienists, Registered Dental Therapists and Registered Pharmacy Technicians) Regulations 2024 be approved.

Minister of Health

Debate ensued.

The Question being put, the motion was carried.

6.4 Motion: Budget 2024-25

Proposed:

That this Assembly approves the programme of expenditure proposals for 2024-25 as announced by the Minister of Finance on 25 April 2024 and set out in the Budget document laid before the Assembly on 20 May 2024.

Minister of Finance

Debate ensued.

The sitting was suspended at 12.57 pm.

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

7. Question Time

7.1 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.

The Deputy Speaker, Mr Blair, took the Chair.

The Speaker took the Chair.

8. Executive Committee Business (cont’d)

8.1 Motion: Budget 2024-25 (cont’d)

Debate resumed.

The debate stood suspended.

9. Assembly Business

9.1 Adjournment Debate

The Speaker informed Members that Ms Connie Egan had informed him that she did not intend to speak to the Adjournment Debate scheduled in her name that evening, and that the Business Committee had been informed.

10. Executive Committee Business (cont’d)

10.1 Motion: Budget 2024-25 (cont’d)

Debate resumed.

The Deputy Speaker, Mr Blair, took the Chair.

The Question being put, the motion was carried with cross-community support (Division).

11. Adjournment

Proposed:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

The Speaker

The Assembly adjourned at 5.55pm.

Mr Edwin Poots
The Speaker
28 May 2024

 
Northern Ireland Assembly

28 May 2024 – Division

Motion: Budget 2024-25

Proposed:

That this Assembly approves the programme of expenditure proposals for 2024-25 as announced by the Minister of Finance on 25 April 2024 and set out in the Budget document laid before the Assembly on 20 May 2024.

Minister of Finance

The Question was put and the Assembly divided.

Ayes: 61
Noes: 21

AYES

NATIONALIST:
Dr Archibald, Mr Baker, Mr Boylan, Miss Brogan, Mr Delargy, Mrs Dillon, Mrs Ennis, Mrs Ferguson, Miss Flynn, Mr Gildernew, Miss Hargey, Mr Kearney, Ms Kimmins, Mr McAleer, Mr McGuigan, Mr McHugh, Mrs Mason, Miss Á Murphy, Mr C Murphy, Ms Ní Chuilín, Mr O'Dowd, Ms O'Neill, Ms Reilly, Ms Sheerin.

UNIONIST:
Mr Brett, Mr Brooks, Ms Brownlee, Mr K Buchanan, Mr T Buchanan, Mr Buckley, Ms Bunting, Mrs Cameron, Mr Clarke, Mrs Dodds, Mrs Erskine, Ms Forsythe, Mr Frew, Mr Givan, Mr Harvey, Mr Irwin, Mr Kingston, Mrs Little-Pengelly, Mr Lyons, Miss McIlveen, Mr Middleton, Mr Robinson.

OTHER:
Ms Bradshaw, Mr Dickson, Mr Donnelly, Ms Eastwood, Ms Egan, Mr Honeyford, Mrs Long, Miss McAllister, Mr McMurray, Mr McReynolds, Mr Mathison, Mr Muir, Ms Mulholland, Ms Nicholl, Mr Tennyson.

Tellers for the Ayes: Mr Boylan, Mrs Mason.

NOES

NATIONALIST:
Mr Durkan, Ms Hunter, Mr McCrossan, Mr McGlone, Mr McGrath, Ms McLaughlin, Mr McNulty, Mr O'Toole.

UNIONIST:
Dr Aiken, Mr Allen, Mr Allister, Mr Beattie, Mr Butler, Mr Chambers, Mr Easton, Mr Elliott, Mr Nesbitt, Mr Stewart, Ms Sugden, Mr Swann.

OTHER:
Mr Carroll.

Tellers for the Noes: Dr Aiken, Mr O'Toole.

Total Votes           82 Total Ayes            61 [74.4%]
Nationalist Votes  32 Nationalist Ayes  24 [75.0%]
Unionist Votes      34 Unionist Ayes      22 [64.7%]
Other Votes           16 Other Ayes          15 [93.8%]

The Motion was carried by cross-community vote.

Northern Ireland Assembly

Papers Presented to the Assembly on 22 May 2024 to 28 May 2024.

1. Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly

2. Bills of the Northern Ireland Assembly

3. Orders in Council

4. Statutory Rules

SR 2024/119 The Social Security (State Pension Age Claimants: Closure of Tax Credits) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024

For information only

SR 2024/118 The Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015 (Commencement No. 13 and Savings and Transitional Provisions) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department for Communities)

5. Legislative Consent Memorandums

6. Assembly Reports

Report on the Legislative Consent Motion on the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill (Committee for Justice)

Engagement on the 2024-25 Draft Executive Budget (NIA 29/22-27) (Committee for Finance)

Report of the Examiner of Statutory Rules to the Assembly and the Appropriate Committee Fifteenth Report of Session 2023 – 2024 (Northern Ireland Assembly)

7. Written Ministerial Statements

Update on Progress to Deliver the Sub-Regional Stadia Programme (Minister for Communities)

The Executive Legislation Programme 2024 (First Minister and deputy First Minister)

Early Learning and Childcare measures 2024/25 (Minister of Education)

Investing in our Children’s Future: Education Capital Budget 2024-25 (Minister of Education)

8. Publications Laid in the Northern Ireland Assembly

Victims’ Payments Board Troubles Permanent Disablement Scheme Annual Report 2022- 2023 (The Executive Office)

Budgeting and Accountability (Northern Ireland Audit Office)

Loughs Agency Annual Report and Accounts for 2022 (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs)

9. Publications Presented to the Northern Ireland Assembly

Partnership Agreement between the Department for Economy and Health and Safety Executive NI (Department for the Economy)

Northern Ireland Assembly Legislation:

Stages in Consideration of Public Bills
First Stage: Introduction of Bill.
Second Stage: General debate of the Bill with an opportunity for Members to vote on its general principles.
Committee Stage (Comm. Stage): Detailed investigation by a Committee which concludes with the publication of a report for consideration by the Assembly.
Consideration Stage (CS): Consideration by the Assembly of, and an opportunity for Members to vote on, the details of the Bill including amendments proposed to the Bill.
Further Consideration Stage (FCS): Consideration by the Assembly of, and an opportunity for Members to vote on, further amendments to the Bill.
Final Stage: Passing or rejecting of Bill by the Assembly, without further amendment.
Royal Assent.
Proceedings as 28 May 2024
2022-2027 Mandate
Executive Bills