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 Declan Kearney
Mrs Diane Dodds
Ms Kellie Armstrong
Mr Mike Nesbitt
Ms Cara Hunter
Mrs Ciara Ferguson
Mr Peter Martin
Dr Steve Aiken
Ms Aisling Reilly
Mr Phillip Brett
Mr Gerry Carroll
Mr Timothy Gaston

3. Assembly Business

3.1 Motion: Committee Membership

Proposed:

That Ms Aoife Finnegan replace Miss Nicola Brogan as a member of the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs; and that Ms Aoife Finnegan be appointed as a member of the Committee on Procedures.

Mrs Sinéad Ennis
Mr Philip McGuigan

The Question being put, the motion was carried.

The Principal Deputy Speaker took the Chair.

3.2 Second Stage: Assembly Members (Remuneration Board) Bill (NIA Bill 09/22-27)

Mr Trevor Clarke, on behalf of the Assembly Commission, moved the Second Stage of the Assembly Members (Remuneration Board) Bill (NIA Bill 09/22-27).

The Assembly Members (Remuneration Board) Bill (NIA Bill 09/22-27) passed Second Stage.

3.3 Motion: Establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee to consider the Assembly Members (Remuneration Board) Bill (NIA Bill 09/22-27)

Proposed:

That, as provided for in Standing Order 53(1), this Assembly appoints an Ad Hoc Committee to consider the Assembly Members (Remuneration Board) Bill; and to submit a report to the Assembly by 1 April 2025.

Composition:      Sinn Féin 2
                            Democratic Unionist Party 2
                            Alliance Party 1
                            Ulster Unionist Party 1
                            Social Democratic and Labour Party 1

Quorum:             The quorum shall be five Members except when no decision is taken or                                            question put to the Committee, when the quorum shall be four.

Procedure:          The procedures of the Committee shall be such as the Committee shall                                           determine.

Business Committee

The Question being put the motion was carried.

4. Executive Committee 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 17 February 2025.

Minister of Finance

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

4.2 Motion: Supply Resolution for the Northern Ireland Spring Supplementary Estimates 2024-2025

Proposed:

That this Assembly approves that a sum, not exceeding £26,536,605,000, be granted out of the Consolidated Fund, for or towards defraying the charges for the Northern Ireland Departments, the Food Standards Agency, the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission, the Northern Ireland Audit Office, the Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation, the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman, and the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland for the year ending 31 March 2025 and that resources, not exceeding £31,041,393,000, be authorised for use by the Northern Ireland Departments, the Food Standards Agency, the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission, the Northern Ireland Audit Office, the Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation, the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman, and the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland for the year ending 31 March 2025 as summarised for each Department or other public body in Column 4 of Table 1 in the volume of the Northern Ireland Spring Supplementary Estimates 2024-2025 laid before the Assembly on 10 February 2025.

Minister of Finance

Motion: Supply Resolution for the Northern Ireland Vote on Account 2025-2026

Proposed:

That this Assembly approves that a sum, not exceeding £12,148,157,000 be granted out of the Consolidated Fund, for or towards defraying the charges for the Northern Ireland Departments, the Food Standards Agency, the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission, the Northern Ireland Audit Office, the Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation, the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman, and the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland for the year ending 31 March 2026 and that resources, not exceeding £13,968,655,000, be authorised for use by the Northern Ireland Departments, the Food Standards Agency, the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission, the Northern Ireland Audit Office, the Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation, the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman, and the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland for the year ending 31 March 2026 as summarised for each Department or other public body in Column 4 of table 1 in the Northern Ireland Estimates Vote on Account 2025-2026 that was laid before the Assembly on 10 February 2025.

Minister of Finance

Motion: Supply Resolution for Excess Votes for 2023-2024

Proposed:

That this Assembly approves that resources, not exceeding £2,776,000, be authorised for use by the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission and the Department for Communities for the year ending 31 March 2024, that a sum be granted out of the Consolidated Fund, not exceeding £464,000 for use by The Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation, for the year ending 31 March 2024 as summarised in Part 1 of the Statement of Excesses 2023-2024 document laid before the Assembly on 10 February 2025.

Minister of Finance

A single debate ensued on all three motions.

The debate stood suspended for Question Time, the Speaker took the Chair.

5. Question Time

5.1 The Executive Office

Questions were put to, and answered by, the deputy First Minister, Mrs Emma Little-Pengelly.

5.2 Finance

Questions were put to, and answered by, the Minister of Finance, Mr John O’Dowd.

6. Question for Urgent Oral Answer

6.1 Avian Influenza

The Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Mr Andrew Muir, responded to a Question for Urgent Oral Answer tabled by Mr Jonathan Buckley.

7. Executive Committee Business (cont’d)

7.1 Motion: Supply Resolution for the Northern Ireland Spring Supplementary Estimates 2024-2025 (cont’d)

Motion: Supply Resolution for the Northern Ireland Vote on Account 2025-2026 (cont’d)

Motion: Supply Resolution for Excess Votes for 2023-2024 (cont’d)


Debate resumed on all three motions.

The Deputy Speaker, Mr Blair, took the Chair.

The Principal Deputy Speaker took the Chair.

The Question being put, the motion on the Supply Resolution for the Northern Ireland Spring Supplementary Estimates 2024-2025 was carried.

The Question being put, the motion on the Supply Resolution for the Northern Ireland Vote on Account 2025-2026 was carried.

The Question being put, the motion on the Supply Resolution for Excess Votes for 2023-2024 was carried.

7.2 First Stage: Budget Bill (NIA Bill 11/22-27)

The Minister of Finance, Mr John O’Dowd, introduced a Bill to authorise the use for the public service of certain resources for the years ending 31 March 2025 and 2026 (including, for the year ending 31 March 2025, income); to authorise the issue out of the Consolidated Fund of certain sums for the service of those years; to authorise the use of those sums for specified purposes; to authorise the Department of Finance to borrow on the credit of those sums; to authorise the use for the public service of excess resources for the year ending 31 March 2024; to authorise the issue out of the Consolidated Fund of a sum for the service of the year ending 31 March 2024; and to authorise the use of that sum for specified purposes.

The Budget Bill (NIA Bill 11/22-27) passed First Stage and was ordered to be printed.

The Principal Deputy Speaker informed the Assembly that the Speaker had received a letter from the Committee for Finance informing him that the Committee was satisfied that the consultation with it on the public expenditure proposals contained in the Bill had been appropriate, as required under Standing Order 42(2), and for the Bill to proceed under the accelerated passage procedure.

8. Adjournment

Proposed:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

The Speaker

The Assembly adjourned at 5.48pm.

Mr Edwin Poots
The Speaker
17 February 2025

 
Northern Ireland Assembly

Papers Presented to the Assembly on 12 February 2025 to 17 February 2025.

1. Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly

2. Bills of the Northern Ireland Assembly

Budget Bill (NIA Bill 11/22-27)

3. Orders in Council

4. Statutory Rules

SI 2025/124 The Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) (No 2) Order 2025 (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs)

SR 2025/25 The Motor Vehicles (Authorised Weight) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025 (Department for Infrastructure)

SR 2025/26 The Farm Sustainability Payments to Farmers (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025 (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs)

SR 2025/27 The Rates (Regional Rates) Order (Northern Ireland) 2025 (Department of Finance)

SR 2025/28 The Rates (Exemption for Automatic Telling Machines in Rural Areas) Order (Northern Ireland) 2025 (Department of Finance)

SR 2025/29 The Rates (Temporary Rebate) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2025 (Department of Finance)

5. Legislative Consent Memorandums

6. Assembly Reports

Report on the Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Property (Digital Assets etc.) Bill (NIA 76/22-27) (Committee for Finance)

Report of the Examiner of Statutory Rules to the Assembly and the Appropriate Committees Thirty-second Report (NIA 77/22-27) (Examiner of Statutory Rules)

7. Written Ministerial Statements

8. Publications Laid in the Northern Ireland Assembly

9. Publications Presented to the Northern Ireland Assembly

Department of Finance Memorandum on the Fourth Report from the Public Accounts Committee Mandate 2022-2027 - Public Procurement in Northern Ireland (Department of Finance)