All of Ms Claire Sugden’s imported questions, contributions and motions in this mandate, newest first, including those assessed as not flagged, uncertain or not yet analysed.
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to detail how his Department plans to ensure that slurry spreading regulations remain appropriate, in light of changing weather and climate patterns.
Motion Amendment · Private Members' Motion · to “Addressing the Impact of Holiday Homes and Short-term Lets”
Addressing the Impact of Holiday Homes and Short-term Lets - Amendment 1 After ‘That this Assembly’ insert: ‘recognises the importance of maintaining sustainable, year-round communities in rural and coastal areas, where local schools, services and community life depend on people being able to live and work locally;…
To ask the Minister of Health to detail how his Department ensures that individuals who receive a private autism diagnosis have access to the same supports and services as those diagnosed through Health and Social Care Trusts.
To ask the Minister of Health to detail any steps he is taking to increase assessment provision and reduce waiting times for autism diagnosis across all Health and Social Care Trusts.
To ask the Minister of Health to detail any assessment he has made of the impact that reliance on private autism diagnoses is having on equality of access to services.
To ask the Minister of Health to detail any steps his Department is taking to ensure consistency in clinical standards between private and health service autism assessment services.
To ask the Minister of Education to detail any assessment his Department has made, of the impact of delays in autism diagnoses, on children’s access to special educational needs support in schools.
To ask the Minister of Justice to detail any steps her Department is taking to ensure the public clearly understand the laws governing fireworks use and the potential impact on animals and vulnerable people.
To ask the Minister of Justice to detail any assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of current fireworks licensing arrangements, in preventing misuse and protecting animal welfare.
To ask the Minister of Justice whether she will engage with the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to develop a coordinated approach to reducing the impact of fireworks on animals.
To ask the Minister of Justice whether she will consider further restricting the use of fireworks to specific times of year or licensed community events, to ensure they are used safely and to reduce distress to animals and vulnerable people.
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to detail (i) what assessment has been made of the impact of fireworks on farm animals and wildlife; and (ii) whether further measures are being considered to mitigate that impact.
Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I prepared a speech that took the issue at face value, in that £145 million sits outside the system. When the general public hear that figure, they think of the debate that we had prior to this one and the £110 million that we are not paying in relation to the police data issue. They also…
The Member has outlined the extensive process involved in collecting the rates bill, setting aside the particular individual at whom it was directed in that case. Does that bureaucracy in and of itself add to the cost and the challenge with rates collection that we are discussing?
I support the motion because it speaks to a growing concern in communities across Northern Ireland, namely the uncertainty that community and voluntary sector organisations are facing and the real fear about what happens when the funding runs out. In my 10-plus years as a Member, those organisations have been treated…
Minister, I appreciate that you recognise that HMOs are useful in certain circumstances. One of the biggest threats to the Causeway Hospital is recruitment. People do not want to take jobs there because they simply cannot find places to live. My concern with the statement is that we could actually add to the housing…
To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail the steps her Department is taking to align apprenticeship availability with regional workforce demand, as identified in the Skills Barometer 2023–2033.
To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail the action her Department is taking to ensure that young people with special educational needs are not excluded from apprenticeship opportunities, due to difficulties in securing employer placements.
To ask the Minister for the Economy whether her Department provides dedicated support or incentives for employers who take on apprentices with special educational needs.
To ask the Minister for the Economy whether her Department has assessed the financial or administrative barriers preventing small and medium-sized employers from engaging in apprenticeship schemes.
To ask the Minister for the Economy whether she plans to introduce new incentives, such as wage subsidies or tax relief, to encourage employers to take on apprentices, particularly in trades and technical sectors experiencing shortages.
To ask the Minister of Education to detail (i) the Primary one intake numbers ,for each of the last five academic years for schools in (a) Portstewart; and (b) Portrush.
To ask the Minister for the Economy whether her Department has assessed the economic and social impact of short-term holiday lets on year-round communities, particularly in coastal areas.
To ask the Minister for Infrastructure for an update on the work her Department has undertaken, to date, in the cross-departmental group considering short-term holiday lets, including any recommendations or proposed actions for her Department, to help protect housing availability in coastal towns, such as Portstewart.