Minutes of Proceedings

The Assembly met at 10.30am, the Speaker in the Chair.

1. Prayers

Members observed two minutes’ silence.

2. Speaker’s Business

2.1 Speaker

The Speaker informed Members that he would not be in the Assembly the following week due to official engagements in Canada and the United States.

3. Members’ Statements

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

Ms Emma Sheerin
Mr David Brooks
Miss Nuala McAllister
Mr Maolíosa McHugh
Mr Tom Buchanan
Mr Colm Gildernew
Mr Gary Middleton
Mr Gerry Carroll
Ms Diane Forsythe
Mr Stephen Dunne
Mrs Pam Cameron
Mr Robbie Butler

The sitting was suspended at 11:02am to facilitate Members reading the statement from the Minister of Finance and resumed at 11:32am.

4. Ministerial Statement

4.1 Public Sector Transformation

The Minister of Finance, Mr John O’Dowd, made a statement regarding Public Sector Transformation, following which he replied to questions.

The Deputy Speaker, Dr Aiken, took the Chair.

5. Opposition Business

5.1 Motion: Job Creation and Cross-Border Co-operation in the North West

Proposed:

That this Assembly recognises the significant economic opportunities available in the North West in areas such as health and life sciences, renewable energy, regulated manufacturing and fintech; notes the significant potential benefits of dual market access for each of these sectors; further notes the potential of a Derry-Letterkenny economic corridor as a key driver of regional growth; calls on the Minister for the Economy to work with Executive colleagues and counterparts in the Irish Government to develop an economic task force for the North West City Region, ensuring coordinated investment, infrastructure improvements, skills development and sectoral growth initiatives on both sides of the border; and further calls on the Minister to work with Invest NI, InterTradeIreland, the North West Tertiary Education Cluster and the Industrial Development Agency Ireland to produce, by September 2025, a joint strategy to attract inward investment, support local enterprise partnerships, and fully utilise the opportunities presented by dual market access.

Leader of the Opposition


Amendment:

Proposed:

Leave out all after ‘fintech’ and insert:

‘notes that the Department for the Economy has been unable to present evidence of any significant benefits of dual market access for each of these sectors to date; further notes the potential of the Londonderry and Strabane City Region City Deal and Inclusive Future Fund as a key driver of regional growth; calls on the Minister for the Economy to work with Executive colleagues and, where appropriate, counterparts in the Irish Government to coordinate investment, infrastructure improvements, skills development and sectoral growth initiatives for the North West City Region; and further calls on the Minister to work with Invest NI, InterTradeIreland and the North West Tertiary Education Cluster to produce plans to grow the skills, research and innovation capacity of the North West City Region, support local enterprise partnerships, and fully utilise the opportunities presented by cross-border trade.’

Mr Phillip Brett
Mr Gary Middleton
Mr Jonathan Buckley

Debate ensued.

The sitting was suspended at 12.57pm.

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

6. Question Time

6.1 Infrastructure

Questions were put to, and answered by, the Minister for Infrastructure, Ms Liz Kimmins.

The Deputy Speaker, Dr Aiken, took the Chair.

7. Opposition Business (cont’d)

7.1 Motion: Job Creation and Cross-Border Co-operation in the North West (cont’d)

Debate resumed.

The Question being put, the amendment fell (Division).

The Question being put, the motion was carried.

The Principal Deputy Speaker took the Chair.

7.2 Motion: Establishing a Dedicated Treatment and Recovery Centre in the North West

Proposed:

That this Assembly recognises the growing crisis of substance misuse and addiction in the North West; notes that the North West experiences some of the highest rates of drug and alcohol dependency in Northern Ireland; acknowledges the significant economic and social cost of untreated addiction, including its impact on healthcare, policing, and the economy; calls on the Minister of Health to prioritise the delivery of a fully funded, purpose-built addiction treatment and recovery centre in the North West; and further calls on the Minister to work with Executive colleagues and counterparts in the Irish Government to integrate addiction treatment into a wider regional strategy for mental health, housing, and employment support to ensure long-term recovery and rehabilitation.

Leader of the Opposition


Amendment 1:

Proposed:

Leave out all after ‘Northern Ireland’ and insert:

‘recognises that areas with greater levels of deprivation, like some of those in the North West, have a disproportionate number of people exposed to adverse childhood experiences and that that is associated with higher rates of excessive alcohol consumption and drug use in adulthood; acknowledges the significant economic and social cost of untreated addiction, including its impact on healthcare, policing, and the economy; calls on the Minister of Health to prioritise the delivery of a fully funded, purpose-built addition treatment and recovery centre in the North West; and further calls on the Minister to work with Executive colleagues and counterparts in the Irish Government to integrate a harm reduction approach and addiction treatment into a wider trauma-informed regional strategy for mental health, housing, and employment support to ensure long-term recovery and rehabilitation.’

Mr Danny Donnelly
Miss Nuala McAllister
Mr Stewart Dickson
Ms Paula Bradshaw

Amendment 2:

Proposed:

Leave out all after ‘Economy’ and insert:

‘notes the importance of early intervention models; calls on the Minister of Health to prioritise the delivery of a fully funded, purpose-built addiction treatment and recovery centre in the North West as part of a regionally sustainable network of services; and further calls on the Minister to work with Executive colleagues and, where appropriate, counterparts in the Irish Government to integrate addiction treatment and early intervention into a wider regional strategy for mental health, housing, and employment support to ensure long-term prevention, recovery and rehabilitation from addiction.’

Mrs Diane Dodds
Mr Alan Robinson
Mr Gary Middleton

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.

The Deputy Speaker, Mr Blair, took the Chair.

7.3 Motion: North West Transport

Proposed:

That this Assembly acknowledges the North West Transport Plan 2035 (NWTP) as a long-overdue step towards addressing the region’s infrastructure needs; recognises that inadequate transport infrastructure has long acted as a barrier to economic growth, investment, and connectivity in the North West; further acknowledges that the illegal waste site at Mobuoy has severely impacted progress on the A6 road upgrade, delaying improvements to a key transport corridor, while also posing serious environmental and public health risks; expresses concern that the North West continues to lag behind other regions in terms of strategic infrastructure investment; calls on the Minister for Infrastructure to accelerate the publication and implementation of a fully funded NWTP that facilitates an integrated, all-island transport network, including the expansion of all-island rail; and further calls on the Minister to work with the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to expedite the remediation of the illegal waste site at Mobuoy, to enable the progression of the A6 road upgrade.

Leader of the Opposition

Amendment:

Proposed:

Leave out all after ‘fully funded NWTP’ and insert:

‘, to ensure that the development of a new overarching Transport Strategy takes account of need in the North West, and to pursue effective cross-border cooperation in relation to the transport network, including the expansion of all-island rail; and further calls on the Minister to work with the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to expedite the remediation of the illegal waste site at Mobuoy, to enable the progression of the A6 road upgrade.’

Mrs Deborah Erskine
Mr Gary Middleton
Mr Stephen Dunne
Mr Keith Buchanan

Debate ensued.

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

8. Private Members’ Business

8.1 Motion: International Women’s Day 2025

Proposed:

That this Assembly welcomes the theme of Accelerate Action for International Women’s Day 2025; recognises that focusing on the need to accelerate action emphasises the importance of taking swift and decisive steps to achieve gender equality; and supports increased momentum and urgency in addressing the systemic barriers and biases that women face, both in personal and professional spheres.

Ms Claire Sugden
Ms Paula Bradshaw
Ms Carál Ní Chuilín
Mrs Diane Dodds

Debate ensued.

The Question being put, the motion was carried.

9. Adjournment

Proposed:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

The Speaker

The Assembly adjourned at 6.20pm.

Mr Edwin Poots
The Speaker
4 March 2025

Northern Ireland Assembly

4 March 2025 – Division

Amendment: Job Creation and Cross-Border Co-operation in the North West

Proposed:

Leave out all after ‘fintech’ and insert:

‘notes that the Department for the Economy has been unable to present evidence of any significant benefits of dual market access for each of these sectors to date; further notes the potential of the Londonderry and Strabane City Region City Deal and Inclusive Future Fund as a key driver of regional growth; calls on the Minister for the Economy to work with Executive colleagues and, where appropriate, counterparts in the Irish Government to coordinate investment, infrastructure improvements, skills development and sectoral growth initiatives for the North West City Region; and further calls on the Minister to work with Invest NI, InterTradeIreland and the North West Tertiary Education Cluster to produce plans to grow the skills, research and innovation capacity of the North West City Region, support local enterprise partnerships, and fully utilise the opportunities presented by cross-border trade.’

Mr Phillip Brett
Mr Gary Middleton
Mr Jonathan Buckley

The Question was put and the Assembly divided.

Ayes: 32

Noes: 45

AYES

Mr Allen, Ms D Armstrong, Mr Beattie, Mr Bradley, Mr Brett, Mr Brooks, Mr K Buchanan, Mr T Buchanan, Mr Buckley, Ms Bunting, Mr Butler, Mrs Cameron, Mr Chambers, Mr Clarke, Mr Crawford, Mr Dunne, Mrs Erskine, Ms Forsythe, Mr Frew, Mr Gaston, Mr Givan, Mr Harvey, Mr Irwin, Mr Kingston, Mrs Little-Pengelly, Mr Lyons, Miss McIlveen, Mr Martin, Mr Middleton, Mr Nesbitt, Mr Stewart, Ms Sugden.

Tellers for the Ayes: Mr Bradley, Mr Harvey.

NOES

Ms K Armstrong, Mr Baker, Mr Blair, Mr Boylan, Miss Brogan, Mr Delargy, Mr Dickson, Mrs Dillon, Mr Donnelly, Mr Durkan, Ms Egan, Mrs Ennis, Mrs Ferguson, Ms Finnegan, Miss Flynn, Mr Gildernew, Mrs Guy, Miss Hargey, Mr Honeyford, Ms Hunter, Mr Kearney, Mr Kelly, Ms Kimmins, Mr McAleer, Miss McAllister, Mr McCrossan, Mr McGlone, Mr McGrath, Mr McGuigan, Mr McHugh, Ms McLaughlin, Mr McMurray, Mr McNulty, Mr McReynolds, Mrs Mason, Mr Muir, Ms Mulholland, Miss Murphy, Ms Ní Chuilín, Ms Nicholl, Mr O'Dowd, Mr O'Toole, Ms Reilly, Mr Sheehan, Ms Sheerin.

Tellers for the Noes: Mr McCrossan, Ms McLaughlin.

The amendment fell.

Northern Ireland Assembly

Papers Presented to the Assembly on 4 March 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

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 4 March 2025
2022-2027 Mandate
Executive Bills

2022-2027 Mandate
Non-Executive Bills

/ Bills progressing by accelerated passage