Minutes of Proceedings
Session: Session currently unavailable
Date: 03 March 2025
The Assembly met at noon, the Speaker in the Chair.
1. Prayers
Members observed two minutes’ silence.
2. Speaker’s Business
2.1 Ministerial Resignations
The Speaker informed Members that he had received notice from the First Minister and deputy First Minister that, with immediate effect, Mr Conor Murphy had resigned the office of Minister for the Economy, Dr Caoimhe Archibald had resigned the office of Minister of Finance and Mr John O'Dowd had resigned the office of Minister for Infrastructure.
2.2 Member Resignation
The Speaker informed Members that he had further received notice that Mr Conor Murphy had resigned as an MLA for the Newry and Armagh constituency with immediate effect. The Speaker said he had notified the Chief Electoral Officer of that vacancy, in accordance with section 35 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
2.3 One Year of Assembly Business
The Speaker made some remarks to mark one year since the Assembly resumed normal business.
3. Members’ Statements
Under Standing Order 24A, the following Members made a statement to the Assembly:
Mr Gary Middleton
Mr Maolíosa McHugh
Mrs Michelle Guy
Ms Diana Armstrong
Mr Daniel McCrossan
Mr Pádraig Delargy
Mr Paul Frew
Mr John Blair
Mrs Diane Dodds
Dr Steve Aiken
Ms Kellie Armstrong
Mr Timothy Gaston
Mr Matthew O’Toole
The Deputy Speaker, Dr Aiken, took the Chair.
4. Ministerial Statement
4.1 Controlled Schools Support Arrangements
The Minister of Education, Mr Paul Givan, made a statement regarding Controlled Schools Support Arrangements, following which he replied to questions.
The Principal Deputy Speaker took the Chair.
5. Opposition Business
5.1 Motion: Enhancing Accountability and Trust in Government
Proposed:
That this Assembly acknowledges that the Executive has lasted for one year, but affirms that simply existing is not enough; notes with regret the findings of the Life in the UK Report 2024, that Northern Ireland experiences the lowest levels of democratic wellbeing across the UK; further notes that people’s low level of trust in our institutions is compounded by repeated institutional collapse, the failure of the Executive to deliver on its promised legislative programme or improve public services; calls on the First Minister and deputy First Minister to initiate a programme to rebuild trust and accountability in our politics by each making a clear and specific commitment not to resign their respective offices during this mandate under any circumstances; and further calls on the First Minister and deputy First Minister to write to the UK and Irish Governments to commence a programme of reform, including an amendment to the Pledge of Office, so no party can veto the operation of Government.
Leader of the Opposition
Amendment:
Proposed:
Leave out all after ‘mandate’ and insert:
‘as a means of frustrating operation of the devolved institutions; and further calls on the First Minister and deputy First Minister to write to the UK and Irish Governments to commence a programme of reform, to include an amendment to the Pledge of Office, the introduction of weighted majority voting for the election of the Assembly Speaker, restrictions on the application of Petitions of Concern and cross-community votes in the Assembly and Executive, and measures to allow the next largest party to nominate a First or deputy First Minister if the first eligible party is unwilling to do so, so no party can veto the operation of Government.’
Ms Paula Bradshaw
Mrs Michelle Guy
Mr Stewart Dickson
Ms Kate Nicholl
Debate ensued.
The debate stood suspended for Question Time, the Speaker took the Chair.
6. Speaker’s Business (cont’d)
6.1 Chairperson Resignation
The Speaker informed Members that he had received notification of the resignation of Ms Liz Kimmins as Chairperson for Health with immediate effect.
6.2 Ministerial Appointments
The Speaker informed Members that the nominating officer for Sinn Féin had nominated Mr John O’Dowd to hold the office of Minister of Finance, Dr Caoimhe Archibald to hold the office of Minister for the Economy and Ms Liz Kimmins to hold the office of Minister for Infrastructure, and that Mr O’Dowd, Dr Archibald and Ms Kimmins had accepted their nominations and affirmed the pledge of office in the presence of the Speaker and the Clerk/Chief Executive.
7. Question Time
7.1 The Executive Office
Questions were put to, and answered by, the deputy First Minister, Mrs Emma-Little Pengelly. The junior Minister, Mrs Pam Cameron, also answered a number of questions.
7.2 Justice
Questions were put to, and answered by, the Minister of Justice, Mrs Naomi Long.
8. Question for Urgent Oral Answer
8.1 Storm Éowyn: Mobile and Broadband Connections
The Minister for the Economy, Dr Caoimhe Archibald, responded to a Question for Urgent Oral Answer tabled by Mrs Deborah Erskine.
The Principal Deputy Speaker took the Chair.
9. Opposition Business (cont’d)
9.1 Motion: Enhancing Accountability and Trust in Government (cont’d)
The Question being put, the amendment fell (Division 1).
The Question being put the motion was negatived (Division 2).
9.2 Motion: Fixing the Health Crisis
Proposed:
That this Assembly regrets that, since the restoration of the Assembly, challenges facing our health service have worsened, with extensive waiting times, an escalating mental health crisis, and severe workforce shortages; acknowledges that these pressures are not solely due to a lack of funding, but also the failure of successive Ministers of Health and Executives to implement meaningful reform; and calls on the Minister of Health to work with Executive colleagues to introduce a fully costed and time-bound health service rescue plan to be presented to the Assembly no later than September 2025.
Leader of the Opposition
Amendment:
Proposed:
Leave out all after ‘regrets’ and insert:
‘the significant challenges facing our health service, including extensive waiting times, an escalating mental health crisis, and severe workforce shortages; acknowledges that these pressures are not solely due to a lack of funding, but also the ongoing need to implement meaningful reform; recognises the need to invest in our health and social care workforce; calls on the Minister of Health to deliver digital capability, innovation and research, take difficult decisions about reconfiguration of services, and address health inequalities through primary, community and social care; and further calls on the Minister to work with Executive colleagues to progress plans to cut health waiting times and introduce a fully costed and time-bound health service rescue plan to be presented to the Assembly no later than September 2025.’
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.
The Deputy Speaker, Dr Aiken, took the Chair.
9.3 Motion: Support for First-Time Buyers
Proposed:
That this Assembly expresses regret that, since the restoration of the Assembly, the challenges facing first-time buyers have intensified, with rising house prices and rental costs creating significant barriers for prospective homeowners; acknowledges the limited provisions within the Housing Supply Strategy to address the specific needs of first-time buyers; and calls on the Minister for Communities to introduce a comprehensive suite of interventions aimed at supporting first-time buyers, including the roll out of an equity-based Help to Buy scheme to provide meaningful support and improve access to home ownership.
Leader of the Opposition
Amendment 1:
Proposed:
Leave out all after ‘regret’ and insert:
'that the challenges facing first-time buyers have intensified, with rising house prices and rental costs creating significant barriers for prospective homeowners; acknowledges that increasing housing supply and creating affordable options across all tenures, in line with Objective 1 of the Housing Supply Strategy, will be vital toward addressing the specific needs of first-time buyers; and calls on the Minister for Communities to consider a comprehensive and evidence-led suite of interventions aimed at supporting first-time buyers, building on the roll-out, and success to date, of Co-Ownership as the exclusive shared ownership scheme for Northern Ireland.’
Mr Brian Kingston
Mr Maurice Bradley
Amendment 2:
Proposed:
Leave out all after second ‘buyers’ and insert:
‘and calls on the Minister for Communities to explore the introduction of interventions aimed at first-time buyers that provide meaningful support and improve access to home ownership.’
Mr Colm Gildernew
Mrs Ciara Ferguson
Debate ensued.
The Question being put, amendment 1 was made.
As amendment 1 was made, the question was not put on amendment 2.
The Question being put, the motion, as amended, was carried.
9.4 Motion: Towards a Shared Island
Proposed:
That this Assembly recognises the transformative potential of cross-border cooperation on the island of Ireland; expresses regret that, due to political dysfunction, the North South Ministerial Council has not lived up to its potential in supporting cross-border cooperation; notes the range of commitments in the Irish Government’s Programme for Government on the Shared Island initiative, which compares unfavourably with the lack of ambition in the Executive’s Programme for Government; further notes the findings of the recent economic modelling work on an all-island economy undertaken by The Economic and Social Research Institute; and calls on the Minister of Finance to bring forward proposals for shared budgeting between the Northern Ireland Executive and the Irish Government, including, but not limited to cross-border healthcare, all-island infrastructure and economic development.
Leader of the Opposition
The Question being put, the motion was carried (Division 3).
10. Adjournment
Proposed:
That the Assembly do now adjourn.
The Speaker
The Assembly adjourned at 6.54pm.
Mr Edwin Poots
The Speaker
3 February 2025
Northern Ireland Assembly
3 February 2025 – Division 1
Amendment: Enhancing Accountability and Trust in Government
Proposed:
Leave out all after ‘mandate’ and insert:
‘as a means of frustrating operation of the devolved institutions; and further calls on the First Minister and deputy First Minister to write to the UK and Irish Governments to commence a programme of reform, to include an amendment to the Pledge of Office, the introduction of weighted majority voting for the election of the Assembly Speaker, restrictions on the application of Petitions of Concern and cross-community votes in the Assembly and Executive, and measures to allow the next largest party to nominate a First or deputy First Minister if the first eligible party is unwilling to do so, so no party can veto the operation of Government.’
Ms Paula Bradshaw
Mrs Michelle Guy
Mr Stewart Dickson
Ms Kate Nicholl
The Question was put and the Assembly divided.
Ayes: 18
Noes: 31
AYES
Ms K Armstrong, Mr Blair, Ms Bradshaw, Mr Carroll, Mr Dickson, Mr Donnelly, Ms Egan, Mrs Guy, 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 Dickson, Mr McMurray.
NOES
Dr Aiken, Ms D Armstrong, Mr Beattie, Mr Bradley, Mr Brett, Mr Brooks, Ms Brownlee, Mr K Buchanan, Mr Buckley, Ms Bunting, Mr Butler, Mrs Cameron, Mr Chambers, Mr Clarke, Mr Crawford, Mrs Dodds, Mr Dunne, Mrs Erskine, Ms Forsythe, Mr Frew, Mr Gaston, Mr Harvey, Mr Irwin, Mr Kingston, Mrs Little-Pengelly, Mr Lyons, Miss McIlveen, Mr Martin, Mr Middleton, Mr Nesbitt, Mr Robinson.
Tellers for the Noes: Mr Harvey, Mr Kingston.
The Amendment fell.
Northern Ireland Assembly
3 February 2025 – Division 2
Motion: Enhancing Accountability and Trust in Government
Proposed:
That this Assembly acknowledges that the Executive has lasted for one year, but affirms that simply existing is not enough; notes with regret the findings of the Life in the UK Report 2024, that Northern Ireland experiences the lowest levels of democratic wellbeing across the UK; further notes that people’s low level of trust in our institutions is compounded by repeated institutional collapse, the failure of the Executive to deliver on its promised legislative programme or improve public services; calls on the First Minister and deputy First Minister to initiate a programme to rebuild trust and accountability in our politics by each making a clear and specific commitment not to resign their respective offices during this mandate under any circumstances; and further calls on the First Minister and deputy First Minister to write to the UK and Irish Governments to commence a programme of reform, including an amendment to the Pledge of Office, so no party can veto the operation of Government.
Leader of the Opposition
The Question was put and the Assembly divided.
Ayes: 26
Noes: 30
AYES
Ms K Armstrong, Mr Blair, Ms Bradshaw, Mr Carroll, Mr Dickson, Mr Donnelly, Mr Durkan, Ms Egan, Mrs Guy, Mr Honeyford, Ms Hunter, Mrs Long, Miss McAllister, Mr McCrossan, Mr McGlone, Mr McGrath, Ms McLaughlin, Mr McMurray, Mr McNulty, Mr McReynolds, Mr Mathison, Mr Muir, Ms Mulholland, Ms Nicholl, Mr O'Toole, Mr Tennyson.
Tellers for the Ayes: Mr McGlone, Ms McLaughlin.
NOES
Dr Aiken, Ms D Armstrong, Mr Beattie, Mr Bradley, Mr Brett, Mr Brooks, Ms Brownlee, Mr K Buchanan, Mr Buckley, Ms Bunting, Mr Butler, Mrs Cameron, Mr Chambers, Mr Clarke, Mr Crawford, Mrs Dodds, Mr Dunne, Mrs Erskine, Ms Forsythe, Mr Frew, Mr Harvey, Mr Irwin, Mr Kingston, Mrs Little-Pengelly, Mr Lyons, Miss McIlveen, Mr Martin, Mr Middleton, Mr Nesbitt, Mr Robinson.
Tellers for the Noes: Mr Harvey, Mr Kingston.
The following Member voted in both Lobbies and was therefore not counted in the result: Mr Gaston
The motion was negatived.
Northern Ireland Assembly
3 February 2025 – Division 3
Motion: Towards a Shared Island
Proposed:
That this Assembly recognises the transformative potential of cross-border cooperation on the island of Ireland; expresses regret that, due to political dysfunction, the North South Ministerial Council has not lived up to its potential in supporting cross-border cooperation; notes the range of commitments in the Irish Government’s Programme for Government on the Shared Island initiative, which compares unfavourably with the lack of ambition in the Executive’s Programme for Government; further notes the findings of the recent economic modelling work on an all-island economy undertaken by The Economic and Social Research Institute; and calls on the Minister of Finance to bring forward proposals for shared budgeting between the Northern Ireland Executive and the Irish Government, including, but not limited to cross-border healthcare, all-island infrastructure and economic development.
Leader of the Opposition
The Question was put and the Assembly divided.
Ayes: 31
Noes: 24
AYES
Ms K Armstrong, Mr Baker, Mr Blair, Ms Bradshaw, Miss Brogan, Mrs Dillon, Mr Durkan, Ms Egan, Mrs Ennis, Mrs Ferguson, Miss Flynn, Mr Gildernew, Mrs Guy, Miss Hargey, Mr Honeyford, Ms Hunter, Mr Kearney, Mr McAleer, Mr McGlone, Mr McGuigan, Ms McLaughlin, Mr McMurray, Mr McNulty, Mrs Mason, Mr Mathison, Mr Muir, Miss Á Murphy, Mr O'Dowd, Mr O'Toole, Ms Reilly, Ms Sheerin.
Tellers for the Ayes: Mr Durkan, Mr McNulty.
NOES
Mr Bradley, Mr Brett, Mr Brooks, Ms Brownlee, Mr K Buchanan, Mr Buckley, Ms Bunting, Mr Butler, Mrs Cameron, Mr Clarke, Mr Crawford, Mr Dunne, Mrs Erskine, Ms Forsythe, Mr Frew, Mr Harvey, Mr Irwin, Mr Kingston, Mrs Little-Pengelly, Mr Lyons, Miss McIlveen, Mr Martin, Mr Middleton, Mr Robinson.
Tellers for the Noes: Mr Crawford, Mr Frew.
The motion was carried.
Northern Ireland Assembly
Papers Presented to the Assembly on 29 January 2025 to 3 February 2025.
1. Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly
2. Bills of the Northern Ireland Assembly
3. Orders in Council
4. Statutory Rules
SR 2025/13 The Public Interest Disclosure (Prescribed Persons) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2025 (Department for the Economy)
Draft SR 2025/XXXX The Farm Sustainability (Transitional Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025 (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs)
SR 2025/14 The Companies (Disqualification Orders) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025 (Department for the Economy)
For Information Only
SR 2025/12 The Parking and Waiting Restrictions (Derry/Londonderry) (Amendment No. 2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2025 (Department for Infrastructure)
5. Legislative Consent Memorandums
6. Assembly Reports
The Northern Ireland Assembly Members’ Pension Fund Annual Report and Accounts for Year ended 31 March 2024. (Finance Office, Northern Ireland Assembly)
Report on the Legislative Consent Memorandum for the Great British Energy Bill (NIA 70/22-27) (Committee for the Economy)
7. Written Ministerial Statements
Department of Finance (Pensions) - Cash Advance from the NI Consolidated Fund (Minister of Finance)
The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority Review of the Pathways Associated with the Temporary Suspension of Emergency General Surgery at South West Acute Hospital (Minister of Health)
