Minutes of Proceedings

The Assembly met at noon, the Speaker in the Chair.

1. Prayers

Members observed two minutes’ silence.

2. Speaker’s Business

2.1 Democratic Consent Process

The Speaker informed Members that a motion on the Democratic Consent Resolution had been tabled by a number of private Members and that the Business Committee would determine the arrangements for a debate on that motion. The Speaker also advised that he had distributed to all Members explanatory materials received from the Secretary of State.

3. Members’ Statements

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

Mrs Cathy Mason
Mr David Brooks
Ms Kate Nicholl
Dr Steve Aiken
Ms Cara Hunter
Ms Aisling Reilly
Ms Diane Forsythe
Mr Colm Gildernew
Mrs Deborah Erskine
Mr Matthew O’Toole
Mr Phillip Brett
Mr Timothy Gaston

4. Public Petition

Stop the Mourne Mountain Gondola Project

Mr Andrew McMurray was granted leave, in accordance with Standing Order 22, to present a Public Petition to Stop the Mourne Mountain Gondola Project.

5. Assembly Business

5.1 Motion: Committee Membership

Proposed:

That Miss Jemma Dolan replace Mrs Sinéad Ennis as a member of the Committee for Justice.

Mrs Sinéad Ennis
Mr Philip McGuigan

The Question being put, the motion was carried.

5.2 Motion: Committee Membership

Proposed:

That Mr Peter Martin replace Ms Joanne Bunting as a member of the Windsor Framework Democratic Scrutiny Committee.

Mr Trevor Clarke
Mr Gary Middleton
Mr David Brooks

The Question being put, the motion was carried.

6. Ministerial Statement

6.1 Enabling Access to Justice Programme

The Principal Deputy Speaker took the Chair.

The Minister of Justice, Mrs Naomi Long, made a statement regarding the Enabling Access to Justice Programme, following which she replied to questions.

7. Private Members’ Business

7.1 Motion: Homelessness Awareness Week 2024

Proposed:

That this Assembly notes Homelessness Awareness Week 2024, from 2 to 8 December 2024; further notes the major impact homelessness has on the health and wellbeing of those impacted; welcomes and commends the ongoing work of voluntary and community sector organisations working to prevent and ameliorate homelessness; affirms that change is needed to increase housing supply and to ensure greater cross-departmental working in order to realise the goal of making homelessness brief, rare and non-recurrent; and calls on the Minister for Communities to ensure the homelessness sector receives sufficient funding to support people at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness.

Mrs Ciara Ferguson
Mr Brian Kingston
Ms Kellie Armstrong
Mr Andy Allen
Mr Daniel McCrossan

Debate ensued.

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

8. Question Time

8.1 Economy

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

8.2 Education

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

9. Private Members’ Business (cont’d)

9.1 Motion: Homelessness Awareness Week 2024 (cont’d)

Debate resumed.

The Principal Deputy Speaker took the Chair.

The Question being put, the motion was carried.

The Deputy Speaker, Mr Blair, took the Chair.
 

9.2 Motion: Safe Use of Non-Surgical Cosmetic Products and Procedures

Proposed:

That this Assembly recognises the need for greater regulation in the use of aesthetic medicines in non-surgical cosmetic procedures; notes that Save Face, a register of accredited practitioners and clinics, received almost 3,000 complaints in 2022 regarding unregistered practitioners; further recognises the potential risk to people if these products are not properly administered, supervised and stored; and calls on the Minister of Health to consider measures, including legislation, to ensure that these products are administered by appropriately trained practitioners.

Ms Liz Kimmins
Miss Órlaithí Flynn
Mrs Linda Dillon

Amendment:

Proposed:

At end insert:

‘and to make it illegal to administer botulinum toxin or a filler, by way of injection, for a cosmetic purpose to a person under the age of 18 in Northern Ireland.’

Mrs Diane Dodds
Mr Alan Robinson

Debate ensued.

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 4.44pm.

Mr Edwin Poots
The Speaker
2 December 2024

Northern Ireland Assembly

Papers Presented to the Assembly on 27 November 2024 to 2 December 2024.

1. Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly

2. Bills of the Northern Ireland Assembly

3. Orders in Council

4. Statutory Rules

SR 2024/200 The Occupational Pensions (Revaluation) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department for Communities)

SR 2024/202 The Marcus Ward Street, Belfast (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department for Infrastructure)

Draft SR 2024/XXXX The Climate Change (Carbon Budgets 2023-2037) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs)

Draft SR 2024/XXXX The Climate Change (2040 Emissions Target) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs)

For Information Only

SR 2024/201 The Electrical Safety Standards for Private Tenancies Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department for Communities)

SR 2024/203 The Fair Employment (Monitoring) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 (The Executive Office)

5. Legislative Consent Memorandums

6. Assembly Reports

Report on the Child Support Enforcement Bill (Committee for Communities) (NIA 51/22-27)

7. Written Ministerial Statements

Radioisotopes Shortage (Department of Health)

8. Publications Laid in the Northern Ireland Assembly

Transforming the Criminal Justice System in Northern Ireland – a Strategic Overview (Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland)

Strategy and Enforcement Policy, November 2024 (The Office for Environmental Protection)
The Commission for Victims and Survivors for Northern Ireland Annual Report and Accounts 2023-24 (The Executive Office)

9. Publications Presented to the Northern Ireland Assembly

Consultation on Proposals for Inclusion in a Victims and Witnesses of Crime Bill and associated documents (Department of Justice)

Department for Infrastructure Roads Division 2024 Autumn Report to Belfast City Council (Department for Infrastructure)

The Northern Ireland Community and Relations Council Annual Report and Accounts for the Year Ended 31 March 2024 (The Northern Ireland Community Relations Council)