Order Paper
Date: 09 March 2026
1. Prayers
2. Members’ Statements
3. Public Petition
Build the Knockbreda Road Crossing
Mr Matthew O’Toole
4. Question Time
4.2 Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
5. Opposition Business
Motion: Equalising the First Minister and deputy First Minister Titles
Proposed:
That this Assembly recognises that the titles of the First Minister and deputy First Minister are joint and equal in authority and responsibility; acknowledges that the difference in titles is a historical anomaly, made at the request of a unionist party; agrees that the current titles entrench division, frequently detract political attention from matters of real importance, and are against the true meaning of the Good Friday Agreement; notes that several holders of the office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister have called for the titles to be changed to reflect their joint nature; and believes that the titles of the First Minister and deputy First Minister should be equalised ahead of the next Assembly election.
Leader of the Opposition
Motion: SEN Reform and Classroom Assistant Provision
Proposed:
That this Assembly recognises the vital role classroom assistants play in supporting children’s learning, inclusion and well-being across our education system; notes proposals by the Education Authority and the Department of Education, as part of wider special educational needs reform, to move away from models of one-to-one pupil support; acknowledges the concerns raised by parents, classroom assistants, trade unions and education professionals about the direction and pace of these changes, and the potential impact on vulnerable pupils; believes this is another example of the Minister of Education pressing ahead with significant change without securing the confidence of families or the workforce; and calls on the Minister of Education to ensure that any reform improves outcomes for children and young people, strengthens terms and conditions, properly values the classroom assistant workforce, and is fully resourced.
Leader of the Opposition
Motion: The All-Island Economy
Proposed:
That this Assembly recognises that stronger north-south economic cooperation delivers practical benefits for workers, businesses and communities, and makes economic sense irrespective of constitutional preference; regrets that effective cross-border economic cooperation has not been consistently prioritised by the Executive, including by key departments such as the Department for Infrastructure, the Department for the Economy and the Department of Finance; acknowledges that barriers to cross-border economic cooperation have had negative impacts across the island of Ireland; and calls on the Executive to work with the Irish Government to prioritise enhanced cooperation on strategic infrastructure, including rail, energy networks and digital connectivity, strengthen cooperation on skills and labour-market alignment, and establish an all-island economic task force to drive delivery on agreed economic priorities.
Leader of the Opposition
