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:

Mr Colm Gildernew
Mr Brian Kingston
Mr Andrew McMurray
Mr Doug Beattie
Mr Daniel McCrossan
Mr Philip McGuigan
Mrs Diane Dodds
Mr Peter McReynolds
Mrs Cathy Mason
Miss Michelle McIlveen
Dr Steve Aiken
Mr Matthew O’Toole

The Deputy Speaker, Mr Blair, took the Chair.

3. Executive Committee Business

3.1 Motion: The Coronavirus Act 2020 (Registration of Deaths and Still-Births) (Extension) (No.3) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024

Proposed:

That the Coronavirus Act 2020 (Registration of Deaths and Still-Births) (Extension) (No.3) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024 be approved.

Minister of Finance

Debate ensued.

The Question being put, the motion was carried.

3.2 Motion: The draft Human Medicines (Amendments Relating to Naloxone and Transfers of Functions) Regulations 2024

Proposed:

That the draft Human Medicines (Amendments Relating to Naloxone and Transfers of Functions) Regulations 2024 be approved.

Minister of Health

Debate ensued.

The Question being put, the motion was carried.

3.3 Motion: The draft Vehicle Emissions Trading Schemes (Amendment) Order 2024

Proposed:

That the draft Vehicle Emissions Trading Schemes (Amendment) Order 2024 be approved.

Minister for Infrastructure

Debate ensued.

The Question being put, the motion was carried.

The Principal Deputy Speaker took the Chair.

4. Committee Business

4.1 Motion: Prayer of Annulment – The Hops Certification (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024

Proposed:

That the Hops Certification (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 (SR 2024/171) be annulled.

Chairperson, Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

Debate ensued.

The sitting was suspended at 1.57pm.

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

5. Question Time

5.1 Education

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

5.2 Finance

Questions were put to, and answered by, the Minister of Finance, Dr Caoimhe Archibald.

6. Question for Urgent Oral Answer

6.1 Domestic and Sexual Abuse Strategy 2024-2031

The Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Mr Andrew Muir, responded to a Question for Urgent Oral Answer, on behalf of the Minister of Justice, tabled by Ms Joanne Bunting.

The Principal Deputy Speaker took the Chair.

7. Committee Business (cont’d)

7.1 Motion: Prayer of Annulment – The Hops Certification (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 (cont’d)

Debate resumed.

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

8. Private Members' Business

8.1 Motion: Funding for the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice

Proposed:

That this Assembly acknowledges the vital role of the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice in providing palliative care for children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions and supporting their families through extremely challenging times; notes the financial pressures faced by the Children’s Hospice due to statutory funding not increasing in line with rising costs incurred due to inflationary pressures; calls on the Minister of Health to prioritise the inclusion of additional funding for the Children’s Hospice in future health budgets; and further calls on the Minister to underline his commitment to sustainable funding going forward by covering 50 per cent of the costs incurred by the Children’s Hospice in providing lifeline care and support to children and their families.

Mrs Diane Dodds
Mr Paul Frew
Mr Phillip Brett
Mr Brian Kingston

Amendment:

Proposed:

After ‘inflationary pressures;’ insert:

‘agrees that the provision of palliative care should be a core Health and Social Care service and not dependent on charitable fundraising;’

Miss Nuala McAllister
Mr Danny Donnelly
Mr Stewart Dickson
Ms Paula Bradshaw

Debate ensued.

The Question being put, the amendment was made.

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

9. Adjournment

Proposed:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

The Speaker

The Assembly adjourned at 5.31pm.

Mr Edwin Poots
The Speaker
14 October 2024

Northern Ireland Assembly

14 October 2024 – Division

Motion: Prayer of Annulment – The Hops Certification (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024

Proposed:

That the Hops Certification (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 (SR 2024/171) be annulled.

Chairperson, Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

The Question was put and the Assembly divided.

Ayes: 29
Noes: 44

AYES
Mr Allen, Ms D Armstrong, Mr Bradley, Mr Brett, Ms Brownlee, Mr K Buchanan, Mr T Buchanan, Mr Buckley, Ms Bunting, Mr Butler, Mr Chambers, Mr Clarke, Mr Crawford, Mrs Dodds, Mr Dunne, Mrs Erskine, Ms Forsythe, Mr Frew, Mr Gaston, Mr Givan, Mr Harvey, Mr Irwin, Mr Kingston, Miss McIlveen, Mr Martin, Mr Middleton, Mr Nesbitt, Mr Robinson, Mr Stewart.

Tellers for the Ayes: Mr Harvey, Mr Middleton.

NOES
Dr Archibald, Ms K Armstrong, Mr Baker, Mr Blair, Ms Bradshaw, Miss Brogan, Mr Carroll, Mr Delargy, Mrs Dillon, Mr Donnelly, Mr Durkan, Ms Egan, Mrs Ennis, Mrs Ferguson, Miss Flynn, Mr Gildernew, Mrs Guy, Miss Hargey, Mr Honeyford, Ms Hunter, Mr Kearney, Mr Kelly, Ms Kimmins, Mr McAleer, Miss McAllister, Mr McCrossan, Mr McGlone, Mr McGrath, Mr McGuigan, Ms McLaughlin, Mr McMurray, Mr McNulty, Mr McReynolds, Mrs Mason, Mr Mathison, Mr Muir, Ms Mulholland, Miss Á Murphy, Ms Nicholl, Mr O'Dowd, Mr O'Toole, Mr Sheehan, Ms Sheerin, Mr Tennyson.

Tellers for the Noes: Mr McMurray, Mr McReynolds.

The motion was negatived.

Northern Ireland Assembly

Papers Presented to the Assembly on 9 October 2024 to 14 October 2024.

1. Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly

2. Bills of the Northern Ireland Assembly

3. Orders in Council

4. Statutory Rules

SR 2024/178 The Trunk Road T3 [Western Transport Corridor – Sion Mills (North) to Ballygawley (West)] Order (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department for Infrastructure)

5. Legislative Consent Memorandums

6. Assembly Reports

Committee on Procedures Report on Proxy Voting for Parental Leave in Plenary (NIA 36/22-27) (Committee on Procedures)

Report of the Examiner of Statutory Rules to the Assembly and the Appropriate Committees Twenty-Fourth Report of Session 2024-2025 (NIA 53/22-27) (Northern Ireland Assembly)

7. Written Ministerial Statements

8. Publications Laid in the Northern Ireland Assembly

Department for Communities Annual Report on Decision Making and Financial Accuracy - 1 January to 31 December 2023 (Department for Communities)

Consultation Draft of Proposed Amendments to Annex A of the Joint Fisheries Statement (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs)

Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation Annual Report and Accounts (for the year ended 31 March 2024) (Department of Finance)

Developing the skills for Northern Ireland’s future (Northern Ireland Audit Office)

Northern Ireland Non-Domestic RHI Scheme: Assessing progress with the implementation of the Public Inquiry recommendations (Second Report) (Northern Ireland Audit Office)

9. Publications Presented to the Northern Ireland Assembly

Department for Infrastructure Roads Southern Division, Report to Ards and North Down Borough Council, Annual Report 2024/2025 (Department for Infrastructure)

Department for Infrastructure Roads Western Division, 2024 Annual Report to Derry City & Strabane District Council (Department for Infrastructure)