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 Royal Assent

The Speaker advised Members that Royal Assent had been signified on 20 September 2024 to the Defective Premises Bill. It will be known as the Defective Premises Act (Northern Ireland) 2024.

2.2 Resignation and Appointment

The Speaker informed Members that The Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard had resigned as a Member of the Assembly for the Fermanagh and South Tyrone constituency with effect from 27 September 2024. The Speaker further informed Members that he had received notification from the Chief Electoral Officer that Ms Diana Armstrong had been returned as a Member of the Assembly for the Fermanagh and South Tyrone constituency.

Ms Armstrong gave the undertaking, signed the Roll of Membership and entered her designation in the presence of the Speaker and the Clerk/Chief Executive on 30 September 2024.

The Speaker informed Members that as a result of Lord Elliott’s resignation, the office of the Chairperson of the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs had become vacant. The Speaker further informed the Members that he had been notified by the nominating Officer of the Ulster Unionist Party that Mr Robbie Butler had been nominated for the office of the Chairperson of the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, and that Mr Butler had accepted the nomination and would take up the office from 9.00am on Wednesday 2 October 2024.

2.3 Ministerial Questions

The Speaker took the opportunity to remind the Assembly what is expected from Ministers in respect of responses to Members’ question as laid out in Standing Orders and previous Speakers’ Rulings.

2.4 Authority of the Chair

The Speaker reminded Members, old and new, of Standing Order 1(2) and to be mindful of the protocols and conventions around the respect shown to the Chair of the Assembly.

3. Members’ Statements

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

Mr Colm Gildernew
Mr Trevor Clarke
Ms Connie Egan
Dr Steve Aiken
Mr Pat Sheehan
Ms Cheryl Brownlee
Mr Matthew O'Toole
Mr Peter McReynolds
Mr Robbie Butler
Mr Jonathan Buckley
Mr Stephen Dunne
Mr Timothy Gaston
Mrs Deborah Erskine

The Principal Deputy Speaker took the Chair.

4. Opposition Business

4.1 Motion: Mental Health Provision in Northern Ireland

Proposed:

That this Assembly regrets the state of mental health service provision in Northern Ireland; laments that the number of people who have passed away as a result of suicide is higher than those who lost their lives in the Troubles; and calls on the Minister of Health to work with his Executive colleagues to commit in the draft Programme of Government to make the prevention of suicide a priority across all departments and to utilize every resource to support those struggling with suicidal thoughts, to introduce targets to address the prevalence of mental health disorders across all age groups, and to introduce targets to tackle the rate of anxiety and depression in children and young adults.

Leader of the Opposition

Amendment:

Proposed:

Leave out all after ‘Northern Ireland;’ and insert:

‘laments that the number of people who have passed away as a result of suicide since 1998 is higher than those who lost their lives in the Troubles; calls on the Minister of Health to work with his Executive colleagues to commit to making the prevention of poor mental health and suicide a priority across all departments, and to utilize every resource to prioritise resilience and coping skills from an early age, dramatically improve access to mental health services and support those struggling with suicidal thoughts; and further calls on the Minister to introduce specific targets to address the prevalence of mental health disorders across all age groups, including the rate of anxiety and depression in children and young adults, as well as reduce mental health waiting times.’

Mrs Diane Dodds
Mr Alan Robinson
Debate ensued.

The debate stood suspended for Question Time.

The Speaker took the Chair.

5. Question Time

5.1 Infrastructure

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

5.2 Justice

Questions were put to, and answered by, the Minister of Justice, Mrs Naomi Long.

The Principal Deputy Speaker took the Chair.

6. Opposition Business (cont’d)

6.1 Motion: Mental Health Provision in Northern Ireland (cont’d)

Debate resumed.

The Question being put, the amendment was made (Division).

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

The Deputy Speaker, Mr Blair, took the Chair.

6.2 Motion: Reinstatement of Community and Voluntary Funding

Proposed:

That this Assembly commends the work of the community and voluntary sector, who provide vital mental health services for the most vulnerable in society; recognises the immense challenges that will be faced by the health service as a result of a 50 per cent cut to their core grant funding; and calls on the Minister of Health to reinstate this funding as a matter of urgency.

Leader of the Opposition

Amendment:

Proposed:

Leave out all after ‘and calls on’ and insert:

‘the Minister of Finance to identify funding, as a matter of urgency, to allow the Minister of Health to reinstate this funding.’

Mr Alan Chambers
Mr Colin Crawford
Mr John Stewart
Mr Robbie Butler

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.

6.3 Motion: Cross-departmental Co-operation on Children’s Mental Health

Proposed:

That this Assembly recognises that the challenges of mental health are not confined to a single department, but impact all aspects of government policy; regrets that a lack of cross-departmental co-operation, exacerbated by long periods without an Executive, has contributed to a breakdown in children’s services, severely impacting the mental health of many children and young people; and calls on the Minister of Finance to use the powers of the Children’s Services Co-operation Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 to instigate an effective model of cross-departmental co-operation on children’s services by enabling pooled funding, sharing of resources and joint accountability mechanisms to deliver effective cross-departmental action on children's mental health.

Leader of the Opposition

Debate ensued.

The Question being put, the motion was carried.

7. Adjournment

Proposed:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

The Speaker

The Assembly adjourned at 5.44pm.

Mr Edwin Poots
The Speaker
30 September 2024

 
Northern Ireland Assembly

30 September 2024 – Division

Amendment: Mental Health Provision in Northern Ireland

Proposed:

Leave out all after ‘Northern Ireland;’ and insert:

‘laments that the number of people who have passed away as a result of suicide since 1998 is higher than those who lost their lives in the Troubles; calls on the Minister of Health to work with his Executive colleagues to commit to making the prevention of poor mental health and suicide a priority across all departments, and to utilize every resource to prioritise resilience and coping skills from an early age, dramatically improve access to mental health services and support those struggling with suicidal thoughts; and further calls on the Minister to introduce specific targets to address the prevalence of mental health disorders across all age groups, including the rate of anxiety and depression in children and young adults, as well as reduce mental health waiting times.’

Mrs Diane Dodds
Mr Alan Robinson

The Question was put and the Assembly divided.

Ayes: 70
Noes: 7

AYES
Dr Aiken, Mr Allen, Dr Archibald, Ms D Armstrong, Ms K Armstrong, Mr Baker, Mr Beattie, Mr Blair, Mr Boylan, Mr Bradley, Ms Bradshaw, Mr Brett, Miss Brogan, Mr Brooks, Ms Brownlee, Mr K Buchanan, Mr T Buchanan, Mr Buckley, Ms Bunting, Mr Butler, Mr Chambers, Mr Clarke, Mr Crawford, Mr Delargy, Mr Dickson, Mrs Dillon, Mrs Dodds, Miss Dolan, Mr Donnelly, Mr Dunne, Ms Egan, Mrs Ennis, Mrs Erskine, Mrs Ferguson, Miss Flynn, Ms Forsythe, Mr Frew, Mr Givan, Mrs Guy, Miss Hargey, Mr Harvey, Mr Honeyford, Mr Irwin, Ms Kimmins, Mr Kingston, Mrs Little-Pengelly, Mrs Long, Mr Lyons, Mr McAleer, Miss McAllister, Mr McGuigan, Mr McHugh, Miss McIlveen, Mr McMurray, Mr McReynolds, Mr Martin, Mrs Mason, Mr Middleton, Mr Muir, Ms Mulholland, Miss Á Murphy, Mr C Murphy, Mr Nesbitt, Ms Nicholl, Mr O'Dowd, Mr Robinson, Mr Sheehan, Ms Sheerin, Mr Stewart, Mr Tennyson.

Tellers for the Ayes: Mr Harvey, Mr Martin.

NOES
Mr Carroll, Mr Durkan, Mr Gaston, Mr McGlone, Mr McGrath, Mr McNulty, Mr O'Toole.

Tellers for the Noes: Mr McGlone, Mr McGrath.

The amendment was made.

Northern Ireland Assembly

Papers Presented to the Assembly on 25 September 2024 to 30 September 2024.

1. Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly

2. Bills of the Northern Ireland Assembly

Defective Premises Act (Northern Ireland) 2024

3. Orders in Council

4. Statutory Rules

SR 2024/000 The Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department for the Economy)

For Information Only

SR 2024/175 The Cycle Routes (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department for Infrastructure)

5. Legislative Consent Memorandums

6. Assembly Reports

7. Written Ministerial Statements

Approval and Publication of the Environmental Improvement Plan (Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs)

8. Publications Laid in the Northern Ireland Assembly

The Personal Injury Discount Rate - Review and determination of the rate in Northern Ireland by the Government Actuary (Department of Justice)

DfI Roads Report Western Division - Annual Report to Mid Ulster District Council 2024-25 (Department for Infrastructure)

Environmental Improvement Plan for Northern Ireland (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs)

9. Publications Presented to the Northern Ireland Assembly