Order Paper

1. Prayers

2. Members’ Statements 

3. Question Time

3.1 Finance

4. Committee Business

Motion: Extension of Committee Stage – Justice Bill (NIA Bill 07/22-27)

Proposed:

That, in accordance with Standing Order 33(4), the period referred to in Standing Order 33(2) be extended to 27 March 2026, in relation to the Committee Stage of the Justice Bill.

Chairperson, Committee for Justice

5. Private Members’ Business

Motion: Failure of RAISE Programme in Tackling Educational Underachievement

Proposed:

That this Assembly recognises that socio-economic background is the biggest predictor of educational underachievement; acknowledges that a range of targeted interventions across government are required to tackle the issue and give children and young people the opportunity to reach their potential; welcomes the allocation of over £20 million from the Shared Island fund to help tackle educational underachievement; regrets that the resulting RAISE programme’s eligibility formula excludes many schools in some of the most deprived working class communities; further regrets that, by design, this programme will not deliver based on objective need; and calls on the Minister of Education to replace the RAISE programme with a new programme which will target support to the schools and children that, based on objective evidence, need it most.

Mr Pat Sheehan
Mrs Cathy Mason
Mr Danny Baker
Mr Pádraig Delargy

Motion: Implementation of RHI Inquiry recommendations

Proposed:

That this Assembly acknowledges the findings of the Northern Ireland Audit Office’s second report on progressing implementation of the Renewable Heat Incentive public inquiry recommendations, published on 15th October 2024, which highlights the outstanding issues and a lack of progress regarding the implementation of these recommendations; expresses serious concern that the Department of Finance has not acted with sufficient pace to fully implement the report’s recommendations; expresses regret that the Executive Sub-Committee on Reform has not met since 2020; calls on the Minister of Finance to urgently accelerate efforts to address the deficiencies identified by the report, ensuring that all recommendations are implemented without further delay; and further calls on the Minister to work with Executive colleagues to re-establish the Executive Committee on Reform as a matter of urgency and to include clear outcomes for reform in the final Programme for Government.

Mr Matthew OˈToole
Mr Colin McGrath
Ms Sinéad McLaughlin

6.  Adjournment

• Impact of the pause in City Deal in Fermanagh and South Tyrone

Mr Colm Gildernew