Order Paper
Date: 16 November 2026
The Assembly to sit at noon.
Indicative Timings for Order of Business.
Marshalled Lists of Amendments.
1. Prayers
2. Members’ Statements
3. Question Time
4. Opposition Business
Motion: Cuts to BBC Northern Ireland Services
Proposed:
That this Assembly recognises the huge importance of BBC Northern Ireland (BBC NI) as a source of news, information and shared local experience; expresses concern at sudden cuts to much loved and vital services, including Irish language services as well as long-standing locally produced series, in the absence of a clear and publicly explained strategy being communicated; acknowledges the profound role BBC NI has in relation to news and current affairs coverage; and calls on BBC NI, as a public service broadcaster, to provide a clearer explanation on the allocation and prioritisation of resources amid current public concern on editorial accountability.
Leader of the Opposition
Motion: Unlocking the Potential of All-Island Tourism
Proposed:
That this Assembly recognises the enormous potential of all-island tourism to drive economic growth, create jobs and revitalise local communities; welcomes the extension of Ireland's Hidden Heartlands into Fermanagh as a positive example of North-South cooperation; expresses concern that Northern Ireland continues to miss out on opportunities to maximise its share of Ireland's international tourism success; supports greater ambition in linking the Wild Atlantic Way with the Causeway Coastal Route, positioning the Derry City and Strabane District Council area as a gateway to the North West and extending Ireland's Ancient East into counties Armagh and Down; further recognises the UK Government's Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme as an unnecessary barrier to seamless cross-border tourism; calls on the UK Government to scrap the ETA requirement for visitors travelling to Northern Ireland from the Republic of Ireland; and further calls on the Minister for the Economy to work with the Irish Government to deliver a jointly funded all-island tourism growth plan, with clear commitments on investment, connectivity and job creation.
Leader of the Opposition
Motion: Public Inquiry into the Southern Health Trust’s Cervical Screening Programme
Proposed:
That this Assembly recognises the serious failings identified in the Southern Health and Social Care Trust’s cervical screening programme; acknowledges the distress, uncertainty and loss of confidence caused by these systemic failures; commends the work of the Ladies with Letters campaign group in seeking answers, accountability and justice; believes that there must be full transparency regarding the circumstances which allowed these failures to occur, the adequacy of oversight and the response of those responsible; and calls on the Minister of Health to establish a statutory public inquiry into the failures within Northern Ireland’s cervical screening programme with a view to determining the facts, ensuring accountability and preventing such failures from ever happening again.
Leader of the Opposition
