Minutes of Proceedings

The Assembly met at 10.30am, 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
Ms Diane Forsythe
Ms Sian Mulholland
Mr Colm Gildernew
Mr Stephen Dunne
Mr Matthew O’Toole
Mr Maurice Bradley
Ms Kellie Armstrong
Mr Peter Martin
Mr Phillip Brett
Miss Michelle McIlveen
Mr Gerry Carroll

3. Ministerial Statement

3.1 North South Ministerial Council Language Sectoral Meeting

The Minister for Communities, Mr Gordon Lyons, made a statement regarding the North South Ministerial Council Language Sectoral Meeting, following which he replied to questions.

4. Executive Committee Business

4.1 First Stage: Justice Bill (NIA Bill 07/22-27)

The Minister of Justice, Mrs Naomi Long, introduced a Bill to amend the law about the retention and destruction of fingerprints and DNA profiles under Part 6 of the Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1989; to amend the law about the release of children on bail and about their detention; to permit the use of live links for the exercise of certain police functions; to make other provision in connection with the administration of justice; and for connected purposes.

The Justice Bill (NIA Bill 07/22-27) passed First Stage and was ordered to be printed.

5. Committee Business

5.1 Motion: Amend Standing Order 30

Proposed:

After Standing Order 30(2) insert:
(2A) No Private Member’s Bill shall be introduced in the Assembly after the final sitting day in June of any relevant year.
(2B) In this Standing Order, a relevant year is the calendar year immediately preceding the calendar year in which, in accordance with section 31(1) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, a poll for the election of an Assembly will take place.

Chairperson, Committee on Procedures

Debate ensued.

The Question being put, the motion was carried with cross-community support (Division 1).

The Principal Deputy Speaker took the Chair.

6. Private Members’ Business

6.1 Motion: Funding for Health Service Transformation

Proposed:

That this Assembly acknowledges the deepening crisis engulfing the health service; believes current hospital waiting times are unacceptable and must be urgently and sustainably addressed; notes with particular concern the 9.4 per cent rise in the number of patients waiting for a first consultant-led outpatient appointment in the Northern, Southern and Western Health & Social Care Trusts between June 2023 and June 2024; reiterates support for the full and timely implementation of the Systems, not Structures report by Professor Rafael Bengoa in order to deliver a more effective, efficient and responsive health service; recognises the importance of transformation being clinically led, as well as the need to value and reward our dedicated frontline health professionals; expresses concern that the stabilisation package agreed with the Government in December 2023 is insufficient to enable the immediate sustainability of public services or to take forward the much-needed transformation agenda; further believes there is a need for a new, long-term financial settlement with the Treasury; calls on the Minister of Health to work with Executive colleagues to strongly make the case for additional funding from the Treasury; and further calls on the Minister to prioritise and allocate additional resources to tackle the backlog in hospital waiting lists in the delivery of the Executive’s forthcoming Programme for Government.

Mrs Diane Dodds
Mr Alan Robinson

Amendment:

Proposed:

Leave out all after ‘responsive health service;’ and insert:

‘agrees that delivering the ambitions of Health and Social Care transformation will require political leadership and an emphasis on service quality; recognises the importance of transformation being clinically led with genuine co-design and partnership working with the Health and Social Care sector; further recognises the need to value and reward our dedicated frontline health professionals; expresses concern that the stabilisation package agreed with the Government in December 2023 and lack of multi-year budgets is insufficient to enable the immediate sustainability of public services or to take forward the much-needed transformation agenda; further believes there is a need for a new, long-term financial settlement with the Treasury; calls on the Minister of Health to work with Executive colleagues to strongly make the case for additional funding from the Treasury; and further calls on the Minister to prioritise and allocate additional resources to tackle the backlog in hospital waiting lists in the delivery of the Executive’s forthcoming Programme for Government.’

Miss Nuala McAllister
Mr Danny Donnelly
Mr Eóin Tennyson

Debate ensued.

The sitting was suspended at 12.59 pm.

The sitting resumed at 2.00pm, Deputy Speaker Blair in the Chair.

7. Question Time

7.1 Education

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

8. Question for Urgent Oral Answer

8.1 Harland and Wolff

The Minister of Infrastructure, Mr John O’Dowd, on behalf of the Minister for the Economy, responded to a Question for Urgent Oral Answer tabled by Mr David Brooks.

The Principal Deputy Speaker took the Chair.

9. Private Members’ Business (cont’d)

9.1 Motion: Funding for Health Service Transformation (cont’d)

Debate resumed.

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.

9.2 Motion: Removing the Barriers to Green Growth

Proposed:

That this Assembly recognises that fair and just growth in the green economy is vital for securing Northern Ireland’s economic future and delivering on our Net Zero commitments; welcomes work from the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to bring forward a Green Growth Strategy; recognises that this Strategy is an important precursor to the delivery of a wider Green New Deal that will decarbonise our economy and create sustainable green jobs in existing and emerging industries; agrees that the major delays within our planning system is one of the greatest barriers to green growth, inward investment and delivery of vital renewable energy infrastructure; further recognises that, without fundamental reform of the planning system, the ambition to harness the potential of a green growth economy, as set out in the draft Programme for Government, will not be possible; and calls on the Minister for Infrastructure and the Minister for the Economy to work together to deliver fundamental reform of the planning system in order to deliver green growth and maximise renewable energy.

Mr David Honeyford
Ms Kate Nicholl
Mr John Blair
Mr Andrew McMurray

Amendment:

Proposed:

Leave out all from ‘welcomes’ to ‘industries’ and insert:

‘welcomes work from the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to develop a Green Growth Strategy; highlights that this Strategy, once presented by the Minister to the Executive for consideration and agreement, could provide a framework to decarbonise our economy, create sustainable green jobs in existing and emerging industries, whilst recognising the importance of an affordable and sustainable transition for businesses and households;’

Mrs Deborah Erskine
Mr Philip Brett
Mr Gary Middleton

Debate ensued.

The Question being put, the amendment was made (Division 2).

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

8. Adjournment

Proposed:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

The Speaker

Mrs Deborah Erskine spoke to her topic regarding Pollution in Lough Erne.

The Assembly adjourned at 5.19pm.

Mr Edwin Poots
The Speaker
17 September 2024

 
Northern Ireland Assembly

17 September 2024 – Division 1

Motion: Amend Standing Order 30

Proposed:

After Standing Order 30(2) insert:
(2A) No Private Member’s Bill shall be introduced in the Assembly after the final sitting day in June of any relevant year.
(2B) In this Standing Order, a relevant year is the calendar year immediately preceding the calendar year in which, in accordance with section 31(1) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, a poll for the election of an Assembly will take place.

Chairperson, Committee on Procedures

The Question was put and the Assembly divided.

Ayes: 66
Noes: 4

AYES

NATIONALIST:
Mr Baker, Mr Boylan, Miss Brogan, Mr Delargy, Mrs Dillon, Mrs Ennis, Mrs Ferguson, Miss Flynn, Mr Gildernew, Miss Hargey, Mr Kearney, Ms Kimmins, Mr McAleer, Mr McGuigan, Mr McHugh, Mrs Mason, Miss Á Murphy, Ms Ní Chuilín, Mr O'Dowd, Ms Reilly, Mr Sheehan, Ms Sheerin.

UNIONIST:
Dr Aiken, Mr Allen, Mr Beattie, Mr Bradley, Mr Brett, Mr Brooks, Ms Brownlee, Mr K Buchanan, Mr Buckley, Ms Bunting, Mr Butler, Mr Chambers, Mr Clarke, Mr Crawford, Mrs Dodds, Mr Dunne, Mrs Erskine, Ms Forsythe, Mr Frew, Mr Givan, Mr Harvey, Mr Irwin, Mr Kingston, Mrs Little-Pengelly, Miss McIlveen, Mr Martin, Mr Nesbitt, Mr Robinson, Mr Stewart.

OTHER:
Ms Armstrong, Mr Blair, Ms Bradshaw, Mr Dickson, Mr Donnelly, Ms Egan, Mrs Guy, Mr Honeyford, Miss McAllister, Mr McMurray, Mr McReynolds, Mr Mathison, Mr Muir, Ms Mulholland, Mr Tennyson.

Tellers for the Ayes: Ms Armstrong, Mrs Ennis.

NOES

NATIONALIST:
Mr Durkan.

UNIONIST:
Mr Gaston, Ms Sugden.

OTHER:
Mr Carroll.

Tellers for the Noes: Mr Carroll, Ms Sugden.

Total Votes                70      Total Ayes                66 [94.3%]
Nationalist Votes       23      Nationalist Ayes      22 [95.7%]
Unionist Votes           31      Unionist Ayes          29 [93.5%]
Other Votes                16      Other Ayes               15 [93.8%]

The motion was carried with cross-community support.

Northern Ireland Assembly

17 September 2024 – Division 2

Amendment: Removing the Barriers to Green Growth

Proposed:

Leave out all from ‘welcomes’ to ‘industries’ and insert:

‘welcomes work from the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to develop a Green Growth Strategy; highlights that this Strategy, once presented by the Minister to the Executive for consideration and agreement, could provide a framework to decarbonise our economy, create sustainable green jobs in existing and emerging industries, whilst recognising the importance of an affordable and sustainable transition for businesses and households;’

Mrs Deborah Erskine
Mr Philip Brett
Mr Gary Middleton

The Question was put and the Assembly divided.

Ayes: 29
Noes: 15

AYES
Mr Allen, Mr Bradley, Mr Brett, Mr Brooks, Ms Brownlee, Mr K Buchanan, Mr Buckley, Ms Bunting, Mr Butler, Mr Clarke, Mr Crawford, Mr Dunne, Lord Elliott, Mrs Erskine, Ms Forsythe, Mr Frew, Mr Gaston, Mr Harvey, Mr Kingston, Mrs Little-Pengelly, Mr Lyons, Mr McGlone, Miss McIlveen, Mr McNulty, Mr Martin, Mr Middleton, Mr Nesbitt, Mr Robinson, Mr Stewart.

Tellers for the Ayes: Mr Brett, Mr Harvey.

NOES

Ms Armstrong, Mr Blair, Ms Bradshaw, Mr Dickson, Mr Donnelly, Ms Egan, Mrs Guy, Mr Honeyford, Mrs Long, Miss McAllister, Mr McMurray, Mr McReynolds, Mr Mathison, Ms Nicholl, Mr Tennyson.

Tellers for the Noes: Ms Bradshaw, Mr McMurray.

The amendment was made.

Northern Ireland Assembly

Papers Presented to the Assembly on 17 September 2024.

1. Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly

2. Bills of the Northern Ireland Assembly

Justice Bill (NIA Bill 07/22-27)

3. Orders in Council

4. Statutory Rules

SR 2024/165 The Armagh Road, Moy (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department for Infrastructure)

SR 2024/166 The Moyraverty Centre, Craigavon (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department for Infrastructure)

For Information Only

SR 2024/164 The Parking Places (Disabled Persons’ Vehicles) (Amendment No. 2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department for Infrastructure)

SR 2024/167 The Parking and Waiting Restrictions (Newtownards) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department for Infrastructure)

SR 2024/168 The Roads (Speed Limit) (No. 4) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department for Infrastructure)

SR 2024/169 The Waiting Restrictions (Augher) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department for Infrastructure)

SR 2024/170 The Parking Places (Disabled Persons’ Vehicles) (Amendment No. 3) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department for Infrastructure)

5. Legislative Consent Memorandums

6. Assembly Reports

7. Written Ministerial Statements

8. Publications Laid in the Northern Ireland Assembly

An inspection of the effectiveness of Criminal Court Administration in Northern Ireland (Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland)

9. Publications Presented in the Northern Ireland Assembly

Proposed New Code of Practice on Sampling and Reporting at Materials Facilities Consultation Paper 2024 (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs)

Northern Ireland Assembly Legislation:

Stages in Consideration of Public Bills
First Stage: Introduction of Bill.
Second Stage: General debate of the Bill with an opportunity for Members to vote on its general principles.
Committee Stage (Comm. Stage): Detailed investigation by a Committee which concludes with the publication of a report for consideration by the Assembly.
Consideration Stage (CS): Consideration by the Assembly of, and an opportunity for Members to vote on, the details of the Bill including amendments proposed to the Bill.
Further Consideration Stage (FCS): Consideration by the Assembly of, and an opportunity for Members to vote on, further amendments to the Bill.
Final Stage: Passing or rejecting of Bill by the Assembly, without further amendment.
Royal Assent.
Proceedings as 17 September 2024

2022-2027 Mandate
Executive Bills