Minutes of Proceedings
Session: Session currently unavailable
Date: 09 June 2025
The Assembly met at noon, the Speaker in the Chair.
1. Prayers
Members observed two minutes’ silence.
2. Speaker’s Business
2.1 Legislative Consent Motions
The Speaker expressed concern that the Assembly was not routinely being given an opportunity to give, or withhold, legislative consent. The Speaker said that if a Minister wanted the Assembly to give its consent to Parliament legislating on a devolved matter, that Minister should ensure that a legislative consent motion was tabled and moved in good time in order to allow the Assembly to carry out its role. The Speaker informed Members that he intended to write to the Executive to remind them of their duty when seeking legislative consent.
3. Members’ Statements
Under Standing Order 24A, the following Members made a statement to the Assembly:
Mr Pat Sheehan
Mr Paul Frew
Mr Nick Mathison
Mr Robbie Butler
Mr Mark Durkan
Mr Pádraig Delargy
Mr David Brooks
Ms Sian Mulholland
Mr Philip McGuigan
Mr Stephen Dunne
Mr Jonathan Buckley
4. Assembly Business
4.1 Motion: Committee Membership
Proposed:
That Ms Cheryl Brownlee replace Mr David Brooks as a member of the Committee for Education.
Mr Trevor Clarke
Mr Gary Middleton
Mr Harry Harvey
The Question being put, the motion was carried.
The Principal Deputy Speaker took the Chair.
5. Ministerial Statement
5.1 Draft Remediation Strategy for the Mobuoy site
The Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Mr Andrew Muir, made a statement regarding a Draft Remediation Strategy for the Mobuoy site, following which he replied to questions.
The Deputy Speaker, Mr Blair, took the Chair.
6. Executive Committee Business
6.1 Motion: Suspension of Standing Orders 10(2) to 10(4)
Proposed:
That Standing Orders 10(2) to 10(4) be suspended for 9 June 2025.
Minister of Finance
The Question being put, the motion was carried with cross-community support.
6.2 Second Stage: Budget (No. 2) Bill (NIA Bill 14/22-27)
The Minister of Finance, Mr John O’Dowd, moved the Second Stage of the Budget (No. 2) Bill (NIA Bill 14/22-27).
Debate ensued.
The debate and sitting was suspended at 1.54pm.
The sitting resumed at 2.00pm, with the Speaker in the Chair.
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 Communities
Questions were put to, and answered by, the Minister for Communities, Mr Gordon Lyons.
The Principal Deputy Speaker took the Chair.
8. Question for Urgent Oral Answer
8.1 Accountability and Oversight Arrangements for Belfast Health and Social Care Trust
The Minister of Health, Mr Mike Nesbitt, responded to a Question for Urgent Oral Answer tabled by Mr Danny Donnelly.
9. Executive Committee Business (cont’d)
9.1 Second Stage: Budget (No. 2) Bill (NIA Bill 14/22-27) (cont’d)
Debate resumed.
The Budget (No. 2) Bill (NIA Bill 14/22-27) passed Second Stage.
9.2 Motion: Suspension of Standing Order 39(2)
Proposed:
That Standing Order 39(2) be suspended in respect of the passage of the Budget (No. 2) Bill (NIA Bill 14/22-27).
Minister of Finance
The Question being put, the motion was carried with cross-community support.
9.3 Consideration Stage: Agriculture Bill (NIA Bill 08/22-27)
The Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Mr Andrew Muir, moved the Consideration Stage of the Agriculture Bill (NIA Bill 08/22-27).
No amendments to the Bill were tabled.
Clauses
The question being put, it was agreed without division that Clause 1 stand part of the Bill.
After debate, the question being put, it was agreed without division that Clause 2 stand part of the Bill.
The question being put, it was agreed without division that Clause 3 stand part of the Bill.
The question being put, it was agreed without division that Clause 4 stand part of the Bill.
The question being put, it was agreed without division that Clause 5 stand part of the Bill.
The question being put, it was agreed without division that Clause 6 stand part of the Bill.
Long Title
The question being put, the Long Title was agreed without division.
The Agriculture Bill (NIA Bill 08/22-27) stood referred to the Speaker.
10. Adjournment
Proposed:
That the Assembly do now adjourn.
The Speaker
The Assembly adjourned at 5.15pm.
Mr Edwin Poots
The Speaker
9 June 2025
Northern Ireland Assembly
Proxy Voting Notifications
In line with Standing Order 27A, Ms Kate Nicholl arranged for her vote to be exercised by a proxy (Ms Paula Bradshaw) during the period 31 March 2025 to 28 December 2025.
Northern Ireland Assembly
Papers Presented to the Assembly on 4 June 2025 to 9 June 2025.
1. Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly
2. Bills of the Northern Ireland Assembly
3. Orders in Council
4. Statutory Rules
SR 2025/102 The Scallop Enhancement Sites (Prohibited Methods of Fishing) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025 (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs)
SR 2025/103 The Horticulture Pilot Scheme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025 (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs)
5. Legislative Consent Memorandums
6. Assembly Reports
Report of the Examiner of Statutory Rules to the Assembly and the Appropriate Committee Forty-first Report of Session 2024 – 2025 (NIA 98/22-27) (Northern Ireland Assembly)
Committee Report on the Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill (Committee for Justice) (NIA 100/22-27)
Committee Report on the Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Crime and Policing Bill (Committee for Justice) (NIA 101/22-27)
7. Written Ministerial Statements
Accountability and oversight arrangements for the implementation of the Belfast Trust Cardiac Services Review Recommendations (Minister of Health)
Public Procurement Policy Statement (Minister of Finance)
8. Publications Laid in the Northern Ireland Assembly
CJI inspection of offence investigation and criminal case processing by Northern Ireland Departments and Organisations (Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland)
