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Dr Caoimhe Archibald: Assembly records
All of Dr Caoimhe Archibald’s imported questions, contributions and motions in this mandate, newest first, including those assessed as not flagged, uncertain or not yet analysed.
I thank the Member for that and, yes, of course, I understand the concerns of farmers and growers. Obviously, there has been persistent wet weather over the past number of weeks. This is a matter first and foremost for the AERA Minister, and he highlighted in his discussions with me that he has raised the issue with…
During my discussions with the AERA Minister, prior to the setting of the Budget, the Minister indicated that he had written to the Minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs seeking a meeting around the need for short-term financial support for farmers and growers in light of the ongoing wet weather conditions.…
The Rates (Exemption for Automatic Telling Machines in Rural Areas) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024 That the Rates (Exemption for Automatic Telling Machines in Rural Areas) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024 be affirmed.
The Rates (Temporary Rebate) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024 That the Rates (Temporary Rebate) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024 be affirmed.
We have all been clear from the outset that this was going to be an incredibly challenging Budget. Demand far outstripped the funding available many times over. For every £1 that we had to spend on day-to-day funding for public services we had three times as many demands. Similarly, for every £1 that we had to spend…
I thank those who have commented on the order. I welcome their remarks, their support for the motion and their desire to limit the administrative burden on grieving loved ones. I also thank the Chair and members of the Finance Committee, who carried out scrutiny of the order and agreed to support it. As Members have…
I beg to move Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. As everyone will be aware, the loss of a loved one, including as a result of a stillbirth, is a very difficult time for those who are left to grieve. In bringing this extension order before the House, I am very conscious of the need to reduce the burden on…
I welcome the opportunity to speak on the motion and on the development of a baby loss certificate scheme for parents who have lost a baby during pregnancy before 24 weeks. At the outset, I pay tribute to those women and parents, who have gone through the heartache of losing a baby during pregnancy, for shining a…
The Coronavirus Act 2020 (Registration of deaths and still-births) (Extension) (No.2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024 That the Coronavirus Act 2020 (Registration of deaths and still-births) (Extension) (No.2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024 be approved.
Thank you, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. I will delight Members by telling them that I do not intend to take that amount of time. I thank Members, Chairs and Deputy Chairs, and all those who have contributed to today's debate. It is always helpful to me, as Finance Minister, to hear the views of respective…
As the Member will know, PEACE PLUS is worth approximately £1 billion. It will build on the work of the previous Peace programmes and INTERREG programmes, promoting economic and social inclusion and peace and prosperity across the North and the border counties. It officially opened for funding calls on 15 June 2023. A…
It is good that the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement are back in place and that we have the North/South Ministerial Council back up and working. It provides an important forum for all-island cooperation and collaboration across a number of areas. I have specific responsibility for the Special EU Programmes…
That is not something that I will be putting in the Fiscal Council Bill. The Fiscal Council will have the ability to set its own work programme and do work within the scope of the broad remit that it will be given in the legislation.
That is a piece of work that the Department was working on while the institutions were down. We are looking to bring it forward and progress it in the near future. Although specific timings need to be firmed up, I am seeking to put it in the Assembly's legislative programme as soon as possible. An Executive paper is…
All Departments have obligations under the new climate legislation. We have been working closely with the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in respect of our climate responsibilities and those of the Executive more broadly. It will be a significant piece of work for all Departments in the coming…
We are going through the Budget process, so Departments will be making their various bids as part of that. The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs is also working through the climate action plan process and consultations. I am sure that Departments will make various bids in that regard.
I am aware that the Health Minister is also looking into the issue and is engaging with officials in the Department of Health and Social Care in England on the baby loss certificate scheme that they have put in place. I will reach out to the Health Minister to look at where we can work together to bring forward…
I have a response on baby loss certificates. Just give me a second to find it. Sorry, I have lost my answer, but this is obviously a very sensitive issue, and I have asked officials to look at it. We want to give recognition to parents. We want to consider the issue fully.
Some of that will fall to me, in my remit, and some of it will fall to other Ministers, including the Communities Minister and the Economy Minister, through their responsibilities and their priorities for their Departments. I will consider any proposals that other Ministers bring forward on that.
One of the initiatives that we have taken is the back in business scheme, which aims to bring empty properties that were previously for retail use back into use for businesses, and to give rate relief to businesses of 50% for up to two years. That initiative had been in place previously, and, through the high street…
The Member is talking about the management of those properties. Some initial scoping work has been undertaken to introduce legislation to give freeholders of private and mixed-tenure estates equivalent rights to those of leaseholders. No further work has been progressed in the interim, due to budgetary constraints…
I have clearly laid out the time frame for when I intend to lay a Budget before the Assembly. I have set it out in a number of the debates that we have had on the Budget since the Assembly and the Executive were restored. Obviously, these are not ideal circumstances. I have been very upfront about that, but we have to…
The Member will be aware of the challenges facing the Assembly and the Executive with the time frame for the Budget for the previous financial year and also for this financial year. He will also be aware that the same section of the 1998 Act requires that I lay a statement in the Assembly after I have been informed by…
I understand that the Member is referring to the £150 million of Fresh Start funding. Again, I cannot speak on behalf of the Education Minister, but I understand that the 10 integrated schools were part of the Department of Education's capital programme. As the Member will know, the Executive agreed to earmark funding…