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

Members’ Bills

The Speaker informed the Assembly that he intended to write to all Members to publish the arrangements for Members' Bills for the mandate, and highlighted that the focus of the arrangements was on ensuring that conducting effective scrutiny and producing quality legislation is at the heart of the Assembly’s legislative process.

3. Members’ Statements

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

Ms Liz Kimmins
Mr Stephen Dunne
Ms Sian Mulholland
Mr Philip McGuigan
Mr Paul Frew
Ms Kellie Armstrong
Mr Tom Elliott
Mr Matthew O'Toole
Mrs Pam Cameron
Ms Claire Sugden
Mrs Cathy Mason
Mr Tom Buchanan
Ms Connie Egan
Mr Alex Easton

The Principal Deputy Speaker took the Chair.

4. Ministerial Statement

4.1 Statement: Inaugural East-West Council Meeting

The deputy First Minister, Mrs Emma Little-Pengelly, made a statement regarding the Inaugural East-West Council Meeting, following which she replied to questions.

5. Executive Committee Business

5.1 Final Stage: Hospital Parking Charges Bill (NIA Bill 02/22-27)

The Minister of Health, Mr Robin Swann, moved that the Final Stage of the Hospital Parking Charges Bill (NIA Bill 02/22-27) do now pass.

Debate ensued.

The Hospital Parking Charges Bill (NIA Bill 02/22-27) passed Final Stage (Division 1).

The Speaker took the Chair.

6. Committee Business

6.1 Motion: Report on a complaint against Dr Steve Aiken OBE MLA

Proposed:

That this Assembly, having considered a report of the Committee on Standards and Privileges from the last Assembly (NIA 208/17-22), notes its conclusion that this Committee on Standards and Privileges should recommend a sanction be imposed on Dr Steve Aiken OBE MLA, and imposes upon Dr Aiken the sanction of exclusion from proceedings of the Assembly for a period of two sitting days, beginning on the first sitting day after the resolution.

Chairperson, Committee on Standards and Privileges

The Question being put, the motion was carried.

7. Private Members’ Business

7.1 Motion: All-Ireland Tourism Strategy

Proposed:

That this Assembly recognises the importance of tourism to our economy; acknowledges that tourism is one of six areas of cooperation on the island of Ireland, as set out in the Good Friday Agreement; further acknowledges the untapped potential benefit of all-Ireland tourism to our local communities; notes that in 2019 the Wild Atlantic Way tourism experience generated €1.9 billion and attracted 3.4 million overseas tourists to the nine counties that it currently covers; acknowledges that extending the Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland's Ancient East and Ireland's Hidden Heartlands would create significant opportunities for our local tourism sector; and calls on the Department for the Economy to work with Tourism Ireland, Tourism NI and Fáilte Ireland to extend the major tourism brands across the island, and to work with local communities to develop sustainable tourism which enhances and protects the local environment and natural heritage, supports local businesses and creates jobs and prosperity.

Mr Pádraig Delargy
Mrs Cathy Mason
Mr Philip McGuigan
Miss Áine Murphy

The motion was not moved.

The sitting was suspended at 12.51 pm.

The sitting resumed at 2.00pm. The Principal Deputy Speaker in the chair.

8. Question Time

8.1 Finance

Questions were put to, and answered by, the Minister of Finance, Dr Caoimhe Archibald.

The Speaker took the chair.

9. Private Members’ Business (cont’d)

9.1 Motion: Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza

Proposed:

That this Assembly condemns the ongoing genocide in Gaza that has left more than 35,000 people dead, most of them women and children; further condemns the actions of Hamas on October 7th which left 1,300 people dead and many families searching for loved ones; abhors the killing of international humanitarian aid workers seeking to deliver vital supplies to the civilian population on the brink of famine; rejects plans for a ground assault on the city of Rafah with a refugee population of more than 1 million Palestinians sheltering with nowhere safe to go; regrets the failure of the international community to act decisively in the interests of peace; affirms its support for a two-state solution and the immediate recognition of the state of Palestine; calls for an immediate ceasefire in the region and the release of all hostages; further calls for an end to arms sales and transfers to Israel while the genocide continues; and calls on the First Minister and deputy First Minister to write jointly to the UK Prime Minister in pursuit of these objectives.

Mr Matthew O’Toole
Ms Cara Hunter
Mr Colin McGrath

Debate ensued.

The Question being put, the motion was carried (Division 2).

The Deputy Speaker, Mr Blair, took the Chair.

10. Adjournment

Proposed:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

The Speaker

Ms Cara Hunter spoke to her topic regarding a Housing Crisis on the North Coast.

The Assembly adjourned at 5.10pm.

Mr Edwin Poots
The Speaker
7 May 2024

Northern Ireland Assembly

7 May 2024 – Division 1

Final Stage: Hospital Parking Charges Bill (NIA Bill 02/22-27)

Minister of Health

The Question was put and the Assembly divided.

Ayes: 65
Noes: 11

AYES
Dr Aiken, Mr Allen, Dr Archibald, Ms Armstrong, Mr Baker, Mr Beattie, Mr Blair, Mr Boylan, Ms Bradshaw, Mr Brett, Miss Brogan, Mr Brooks, Ms Brownlee, Mr T Buchanan, Ms Bunting, Mr Butler, Mrs Cameron, Mr Chambers, Mr Clarke, Mr Delargy, Mr Dickson, Mr Dunne, Ms Eastwood, Ms Egan, Mr Elliott, Mrs Ennis, Mrs Erskine, Mrs Ferguson, Miss Flynn, Ms Forsythe, Mr Frew, Mr Gildernew, Mr Givan, Miss Hargey, Mr Harvey, Mr Honeyford, Mr Irwin, Ms Kimmins, Mr Kingston, Mrs Little-Pengelly, Mrs Long, Mr Lyons, Mr McAleer, Mr McGuigan, Mr McHugh, Miss McIlveen, Mr Andrew McMurray, Mr McReynolds, Mrs Mason, Mr Mathison, Mr Middleton, Mr Muir, Ms Mulholland, Miss Á Murphy, Mr Nesbitt, Ms Nicholl, Mr O'Dowd, Ms O'Neill, Ms Reilly, Mr Robinson, Mr Sheehan, Ms Sheerin, Mr Stewart, Mr Swann, Mr Tennyson.

Tellers for the Ayes: Dr Aiken, Mr Chambers.

NOES
Mr Allister, Mr Carroll, Mr Durkan, Mr Easton, Ms Hunter, Mr McGlone, Mr McGrath, Ms McLaughlin, Mr McNulty, Mr O'Toole, Ms Sugden.

Tellers for the Noes: Mr Carroll, Mr McGrath.

The Hospital Parking Charges Bill (NIA Bill 02/22-27) passed final stage.

Northern Ireland Assembly

7 May 2024 – Division 2

Motion: Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza

Proposed:

That this Assembly condemns the ongoing genocide in Gaza that has left more than 35,000 people dead, most of them women and children; further condemns the actions of Hamas on October 7th which left 1,300 people dead and many families searching for loved ones; abhors the killing of international humanitarian aid workers seeking to deliver vital supplies to the civilian population on the brink of famine; rejects plans for a ground assault on the city of Rafah with a refugee population of more than 1 million Palestinians sheltering with nowhere safe to go; regrets the failure of the international community to act decisively in the interests of peace; affirms its support for a two-state solution and the immediate recognition of the state of Palestine; calls for an immediate ceasefire in the region and the release of all hostages; further calls for an end to arms sales and transfers to Israel while the genocide continues; and calls on the First Minister and deputy First Minister to write jointly to the UK Prime Minister in pursuit of these objectives.

Mr Matthew O’Toole
Ms Cara Hunter
Mr Colin McGrath

The Question was put and the Assembly divided.

Ayes: 44
Noes: 26

AYES
Ms Armstrong, Mr Baker, Mr Blair, Mr Boylan, Ms Bradshaw, Miss Brogan, Mr Carroll, Mr Delargy, Mr Dickson, Mr Donnelly, Mr Durkan, Ms Egan, Mrs Ennis, Mrs Ferguson, Miss Flynn, Mr Gildernew, Miss Hargey, Mr Honeyford, Ms Hunter, Mr Kelly, Ms Kimmins, Mrs Long, Mr McAleer, Mr McGlone, Mr McGrath, Mr McGuigan, Mr McHugh, Ms McLaughlin, Mr Andrew McMurray, Mr McNulty, Mr McReynolds, Mrs Mason, Mr Mathison, Mr Muir, Ms Mulholland, Miss Á Murphy, Ms Ní Chuilín, Ms Nicholl, Mr O'Dowd, Mr O'Toole, Ms Reilly, Ms Sheerin, Ms Sugden, Mr Tennyson.

Tellers for the Ayes: Ms Hunter, Ms McLaughlin.

NOES
Mr Allen, Mr Allister, Mr Beattie, Mr Brett, Mr Brooks, Ms Brownlee, Ms Bunting, Mr Butler, Mrs Cameron, Mr Chambers, Mr Clarke, Mr Dunne, Mr Elliott, Mrs Erskine, Ms Forsythe, Mr Frew, Mr Harvey, Mr Irwin, Mr Kingston, Mrs Little-Pengelly, Mr Lyons, Miss McIlveen, Mr Middleton, Mr Nesbitt, Mr Robinson, Mr Stewart.

Tellers for the Noes: Mr Harvey, Mr Kingston.

The following Member voted in both Lobbies and is therefore not counted in the result:

Mr Easton.

The motion was carried.

Northern Ireland Assembly

Papers Presented to the Assembly on 30 April 2024 to 7 May 2024.

1. Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly


2. Bills of the Northern Ireland Assembly

3. Orders in Council


4. Statutory Rules

SR 2024/105 The Alleyway to the rear of Nos. 92-122 Royal Avenue, Belfast (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department for Infrastructure)

SR 2024/106 The Judicial Pensions (Remediable Service etc.) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department of Justice)

SR 2024/0000 The Working Time (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department for the Economy)

For information only

SR 2024/104 The Road Races (Spamount Hill Climb) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024 (Department for Infrastructure)

5. Legislative Consent Memorandums


6. Assembly Reports

Report of the Examiner of Statutory Rules to the Assembly and the Appropriate Committee Twelfth Report of Session 2023 – 2024 (Northern Ireland Assembly)

7. Written Ministerial Statements

Public Expenditure - 2023-24 Final Plan – Late Allocations (Department of Finance)

8. Publications Laid in the Northern Ireland Assembly


9. Publications Presented in the Northern Ireland Assembly

Department of Finance Memorandum on the Eleventh Report from the Public Accounts Committee Mandate 2017-2022 - Sports Sustainability Fund (Department of Finance)

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 7 May 2024
2022-2027 Mandate
Executive Bills