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.
To ask the Minister for Communities to detail any support in place through Universal Credit to encourage mature students with caring responsibilities to pursue higher education and, ultimately, move into employment.
To ask the Minister for Communities to detail (i) any assessment that has been made of the impact of ongoing work coach requirements on full-time university students with caring responsibilities; and (ii) whether his Department has considered introducing greater flexibility within Universal Credit to support these…
To ask the Minister of Health to detail any actions being taken to (i) reduce obesity; and (ii) improve dietary health among young people, particularly in relation to regular consumption of fast food.
To ask the Minister of Health whether his Department will consider funding community-led healthy eating initiatives, including free basic cookery classes, as part of preventative health strategies.
To ask the Minister of Health for his assessment of the long-term public health costs associated with poor nutrition in young people due to over-consumption of fast food.
To ask the Minister of Health to detail any cross-departmental work being carried out to improve young people's understanding of nutrition and healthy cooking.
To ask the Minister of Health for a breakdown of the cost savings to the health service from the NIPEARS Plus pilot, which utilised independent prescribing optometrists to manage acute eye conditions in the community.
To ask the Minister of Health for an update on efforts to align Northern Ireland with the rest of the UK in ensuring that people on Universal Credit can access their entitlement to NHS eyecare.
To ask the Minister of Health to detail any steps being taken to increase the number of optometrists with independent prescribing qualifications, given the success of the NIPEARS Plus pilot in treating 90 per cent of patients without the need for referral back to Eye Casualty.
To ask the Minister of Health whether his Department has considered rolling out the NIPEARS Plus pilot regionally, following its successful implementation in the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.
To ask the Minister of Health to detail any action being taken to address the occupational health risks for community optometrists identified during the NIPEARS Plus pilot, including the absence of cover for needlestick injuries.
To ask the Minister of Health to detail the data collected on cancer diagnosis outcomes in individuals who fall outside the age eligibility for screening programmes.
To ask the Minister of Health for his assessment of whether current age thresholds for cancer screening services reflect the healthcare needs of older people.
To ask the Minister of Health how his Department ensures that individuals beyond the eligible screening age are made aware of self-referral options where available.
To ask the Minister of Health whether there are any plans to review the upper age limits for cancer screening services, in line with changes in population health and life expectancy.
To ask the First Minister and deputy First Minister whether they will commit to facilitating cross-departmental collaboration on Community Transport provision as part of the Executive’s work on older people, following the inclusion of ageing in the Programme for Government 2024-2027 priorities.
To ask the Minister of Health to detail (i) any engagement his Department has had with the Department for Infrastructure to develop a regional strategy for non-emergency patient transport; and (ii) whether community transport operators will be included in future hospital discharge planning.
To ask the Minister for Infrastructure (i) for her assessment of the sustainability of community transport services in Northern Ireland; and (ii) whether she will consider establishing a multi-year funding model for Rural Community Transport Partnerships.
To ask the Minister for Infrastructure whether her Department will undertake an urgent update of Dial-a-Lift and Disability Action Transport Scheme service maps, to ensure they reflect current demographic needs, particularly in rural parts of East Londonderry.
To ask the Minister for Infrastructure to detail (i) any plans to review the current driver licensing requirements for community transport operators, particularly in relation to Category D1 licensing; and (ii) whether consideration will be given to aligning with the approach in Great Britain to support recruitment and…
To ask the Minister for Infrastructure to detail (i) the specific statutory duties of her Department in ensuring local councils enforce the 20 per cent social housing requirement in planning approvals, including whether her Department has a legal obligation to intervene if a council fails to enforce compliance; and…
To ask the Minister for Infrastructure whether she has considered introducing planning restrictions on the conversion of residential properties into short-term holiday lets in high-demand areas, such as coastal towns, in order to protect the availability of long-term housing.