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:

Mrs Sinéad Ennis
Ms Diane Forsythe
Ms Kellie Armstrong
Mr Colin McGrath
Mr Pádraig Delargy
Mr Harry Harvey
Ms Paula Bradshaw
Ms Aisling Reilly
Mr Maurice Bradley
Mr Declan McAleer
Mrs Deborah Erskine
Mr Daniel McCrossan
Mr Andrew McMurray

The Principal Deputy Speaker took the Chair.

3. Private Members’ Business

3.1 Motion: Unlocking Funding for Childcare Providers

Proposed:

That this Assembly welcomes the £50 million earmarked for early years and childcare in the Executive’s Draft Budget for 2025-2026; highlights the positive impact of the Northern Ireland Childcare Subsidy Scheme towards alleviating financial pressure on thousands of families and helping more parents, particularly women, to stay in, or return to, work; further welcomes that from September 2025 an additional 2,500 children in 105 pre-school settings throughout Northern Ireland will be offered full-time pre-school education; recalls that the package of early years and childcare measures agreed in May 2024 included a £2 million allocation for a targeted business support scheme for childcare providers; regrets, in this context, the failure of the Department for the Economy and Invest NI to expedite the scoping exercise necessary to inform the design of this scheme; notes that this comes at a time when many providers are already facing challenges to recruitment and retention, including grappling with rising national insurance costs; calls on the Minister for the Economy to explain the cause of this delay; and further calls on the Minister to work alongside Executive colleagues to expedite the delivery of this vital financial support to childcare providers in financial difficulty, as well as those in areas where the demand for childcare exceeds supply, as soon as possible.

Ms Diane Forsythe
Mr Phillip Brett
Mr Peter Martin
Mr David Brooks

Amendment:

Proposed:

Leave out all after ‘business support scheme for childcare providers;’ and insert:

‘and calls on the Minister for the Economy to work alongside Executive colleagues to expedite the delivery of this vital financial support to childcare providers in financial difficulty, as well as those in areas where the demand for childcare exceeds supply, as soon as possible; further calls on the Minister of Education to expand the Northern Ireland Childcare Subsidy Scheme to families of all children using registered childcare and to set a clear deadline for the publication of a new early learning and childcare strategy including a transparent, long-term funding plan for the sector to invest in providers while improving affordability for parents.’

Ms Sinéad McLaughlin
Mr Matthew O’Toole
Mr Colin McGrath

Debate ensued.

The Question being put, the amendment was made.

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

The Deputy Speaker, Mr Blair, took he Chair.

3.2 Motion: Reducing Stigma in Mental Illness

Proposed:

That this Assembly recognises that many people, from a cross-section of society, face mental health challenges; asserts that no person experiencing mental ill-health should feel any shame due to their illness; further recognises the need to fully implement the Mental Health Strategy 2021-2031; calls on the Minister of Health to take action to reduce stigma around mental illness and to bring forward a work plan on this issue, given its prevalence within society; and further calls on the Department of Health to deliver anti-stigma and anti-discrimination public awareness and education campaigns, as detailed in the first theme of the Mental Health Strategy.

Ms Liz Kimmins
Miss Órlaithí Flynn
Mrs Linda Dillon

Debate ensued.

The sitting was suspended at 12.57pm

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

4. Question Time

4.1 Education

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

The Deputy Speaker, Mr Blair, took the Chair.

5. Private Members’ Business (cont’d)

5.1 Motion: Reducing Stigma in Mental Illness (cont’d)

Debate resumed.

The Question being put, the motion was carried.

The Deputy Speaker, Dr Aiken, took the Chair.

6. Adjournment

Proposed:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

The Speaker

Mr Pádraig Delargy spoke to his topic regarding Improved Access to the Accident and Emergency Department in Altnagelvin Hospital.

The Assembly adjourned at 4.26pm.

Mr Edwin Poots
The Speaker
21 January 2025

Northern Ireland Assembly

Papers Presented to the Assembly on 21 January 2025.

1. Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly

2. Bills of the Northern Ireland Assembly

3. Orders in Council

4. Statutory Rules

5. Legislative Consent Memorandums

6. Assembly Reports

7. Written Ministerial Statements

8. Publications Laid in the Northern Ireland Assembly

Attorney General for Northern Ireland Annual Report for 2023/24 (The Executive Office)

9. Publications Presented in the Northern Ireland Assembly

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 21 January 2025
2022-2027 Mandate
Executive Bills