Order Paper
Reference: OP91 - 2227
Date: 24 March 2025
1. Prayers
2. Members’ Statements
3. Question Time
4. Opposition Business
Motion: Ambulance Handovers
Proposed:
That this Assembly recognises that emergency services play a critical role in providing care to those in urgent need; expresses deep concern at the findings of the Northern Ireland Audit Office March 2025 report on ambulance handovers which outlines how severe delays are putting patient safety at risk and wasting significant resources; notes that only 7 per cent of handovers meet the 15 minute target, with some exceeding 10 hours; further notes the impact of delays on emergency response times, hospital capacity, and frontline staff; and calls on the Minister of Health, with the support of Executive colleagues, to urgently introduce the recommendations set out in the SDLP policy, Help Can’t Wait, including the introduction of the W45 policy used by the London Ambulance Service, the standardisation of guidance across all Health and Social Care Trusts, a commitment to increase medical capacity, improve processes to reduce ambulance handover delays and improve patient flow across the health system.
Leader of the Opposition
Motion: Funding for Childcare
Proposed:
That this Assembly recognises the significant financial strain that high childcare costs continue to place on families across Northern Ireland; acknowledges that the delivery of affordable childcare is a priority in the Programme for Government; expresses concern on the speed of the roll-out of the Northern Ireland Childcare Subsidy Scheme (NICSS) with only 20 per cent of allocated funding being spent to date; expresses regret that in many instances, rising costs have outweighed the potential savings for parents provided by the NICSS; notes the disparity between ring-fenced funding for childcare and the £400 million needed to deliver an early learning and childcare strategy; and calls on the Minister of Finance to commit to fully fund a multi-year early learning and childcare strategy which provides affordable, quality childcare for parents alongside long-term sustainability for providers.
Leader of the Opposition
Motion: The Green Energy Transition
Proposed:
That this Assembly notes several commitments in the Programme for Government to upscale renewable energy production; expresses concern that renewable energy generation has fallen annually since 2022; recognises that insufficient renewable energy infrastructure and ineffective planning policy are significant barriers to renewable energy expansion; affirms that unless addressed, Northern Ireland will fail to meet statutory climate targets; calls on the Minister for the Economy to introduce a new renewable energy support scheme to upscale onshore and offshore renewable energy production; and further calls on the Minister to work with the Minister for Infrastructure on a reform of planning policy to facilitate the development of renewable energy technology.
Leader of the Opposition
