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MLA Culture Wars

Mr John O'Dowd: Assembly records

All of Mr John O'Dowd’s imported questions, contributions and motions in this mandate, newest first, including those assessed as not flagged, uncertain or not yet analysed.

1,596 records match, page 28 of 64.

  1. Debate contribution: Coronavirus Act 2020 (Registration of Deaths and Still-Births) (Extension) (No. 2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2025

    • Executive Committee Business
    • As a minister

    I thank the Members who commented on the order, and I welcome their remarks. I also thank the Chairman and the members of the Finance Committee for scrutinising the order. As Members reflected, our objective in bringing forward the order is to continue to provide a registration service that meets the needs of the…

    Not flagged

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  2. Debate contribution: Coronavirus Act 2020 (Registration of Deaths and Still-Births) (Extension) (No. 2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2025

    • Executive Committee Business
    • As a minister

    I beg to move Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. As Members will be aware, the order seeks to extend powers introduced in the Coronavirus Act 2020 relating to the registration of deaths and stillbirths for a further six months from 24 September 2025 to 24 March 2026. The specific powers included in the…

    Not flagged

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  3. Debate contribution: Budget: 2025-56

    • Oral Answers to Questions
    • As a minister

    The Member will be aware that the first round of funding has been distributed. The public-sector transformation board is now examining bids from Departments for the next round of funding. I hope to be in a position to bring the board's recommendations to the Executive later in the autumn.

    Not flagged

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  4. Debate contribution: Budget: 2025-56

    • Oral Answers to Questions
    • As a minister

    I am on the record as saying that all the Departments are dealing with a constrained budget, and, as I have just said, Ministers have difficult decisions in front of them. None of the Departments are easy at this time, and the forecast for the next three years is also challenging. However, we are making a difference.…

    Not flagged

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  6. Debate contribution: Budget: 2025-56

    • Oral Answers to Questions
    • As a minister

    In fairness, they are not Civil Service Departments. They are ministerial Departments, and, at the head of each Department, is a Minister who is responsible for managing the budget along with their senior civil servants. At this stage, we have a forecast overspend, with pressures across a number of Departments.…

    Not flagged

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  8. Debate contribution: Baby Loss Certificate Scheme: Consultation Update

    • Oral Answers to Questions
    • As a minister

    It is not a deliberate attempt to row back. I would like to see the scheme delivered in this calendar year. There are a number of factors at play, and a lot of it lies in the hands of the Assembly. I note that the Committee has now completed its examination and report, and I thank the Committee for that. A lot of it…

    Not flagged

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  10. Debate contribution: Strategic Rating Review 2025-26

    • Oral Answers to Questions
    • As a minister

    I have a paper with the Executive on the cap and the discount for early payment that I am looking for the Executive to endorse. Over the summer, my officials worked closely with key stakeholders on business rates relief and other issues. They are now preparing a paper for me that I hope to bring to the Executive for…

    Not flagged

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  11. Debate contribution: Road Repairs: DFI Budget

    • Oral Answers to Questions
    • As a minister

    Using the simple equation of paying compensation or fixing the roads, yes, but, unfortunately, the Infrastructure Minister faces significant difficulties in making the budget go around, as did the previous Minister. Despite the increase in funding for road repairs that there has been, I think, in this financial year,…

    Not flagged

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  12. Debate contribution: Road Repairs: DFI Budget

    • Oral Answers to Questions
    • As a minister

    The Minister for Infrastructure regularly engages with me — rightly so — as other Ministers do, lobbying me on their budgets so that they can invest in a wide range of areas, including repairs to the public highway network. I will continue to work with her to do what I can to ensure that investment is targeted in that…

    Not flagged

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  13. Debate contribution: Northern Ireland Civil Service Estate

    • Oral Answers to Questions
    • As a minister

    Yes. One reason why we are looking at our estate buildings is that some of them are outdated and to invest in them to make them energy-efficient would simply not be a good use of public funds. We are moving people out of some of those buildings for that reason and other reasons. We are attempting to invest in…

    Not flagged

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  14. Debate contribution: Northern Ireland Civil Service Estate

    • Oral Answers to Questions
    • As a minister

    The Civil Service has been going through an extensive rationalisation of its estate and rightly so. We have an expansive estate. My Department has been working through a plan to look at the viability of each building, its energy efficiency and its usage. My Department has been planning that estate management process.…

    Not flagged

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  15. Debate contribution: A5: Capital Funding

    • Oral Answers to Questions
    • As a minister

    I do not mind being challenged, but, if you are going to challenge me, leave the comments to me; do not expand them out. As Chair of the Finance Committee, you know that the Executive have to decide on the future use of any returned funds. Those funds will be returned in the October monitoring round, and the Executive…

    Not flagged

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  17. Debate contribution: A5: Capital Funding

    • Oral Answers to Questions
    • As a minister

    I reject your comment about the lack of careful scrutiny. In my experience of being a Minister in three different Departments, no project has received more careful scrutiny and examination than the A5 at ministerial and official level. I commend the officials who are involved in it. They are dedicated public servants…

    Not flagged

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  18. Debate contribution: A5: Capital Funding

    • Oral Answers to Questions
    • As a minister

    I am acutely aware of the fact that the A5 case is before the Court of Appeal and that there will be an appeal hearing on it. I look forward to the outcome of that appeal hearing, because the issues around the A5 deserve very careful scrutiny and require a legal determination by a court. I am more than satisfied that…

    Not flagged

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  19. Debate contribution: Civil Service Recruitment

    • Oral Answers to Questions
    • As a minister

    As one of the largest employers here, the Civil Service is committed to building an inclusive workforce that is reflective of the society that it serves and to increasing the representation of young people in our workforce. My Department has introduced a range of measures to recruit more young people, including the…

    Not flagged

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  20. Debate contribution: Healthcare Staff: Contract Dispute

    • Oral Answers to Questions
    • As a minister

    The Health budget continues to take up a significant proportion of our overall Budget. It is sitting at around 47% of our overall spend. Undoubtedly, there is a growing demand due to healthcare needs as our population gets older, and, as new medicines and new treatments are introduced, we want to keep apace with…

    Not flagged

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  21. Debate contribution: Healthcare Staff: Contract Dispute

    • Oral Answers to Questions
    • As a minister

    The Member clearly had his piece for camera worked out before I read out my answer, because I did not blame anybody and I did not point the finger at anybody. I listened very carefully to the Health Minister when he responded to the Member at previous Question Times, and he did not point the finger at anybody.…

    Not flagged

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  22. Debate contribution: Healthcare Staff: Contract Dispute

    • Oral Answers to Questions
    • As a minister

    We all want health workers to get the pay rise that they deserve. They should not be in the position of having to consider strike action to get the pay awards that they are entitled to. I am acutely aware of the demands that are placed on our health and social care system and the financial pressures that it faces.…

    Not flagged

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  23. Debate contribution: Shared Property Management Report: Publication

    • Oral Answers to Questions
    • As a minister

    As further work begins on the issue, officials will liaise closely with a wide range of stakeholders, building on the initial engagement that took place as part of the scoping report. Homeowners, as well as other interested parties, will be able to engage with my Department, set out their concerns and raise relevant…

    Not flagged

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  24. Debate contribution: Shared Property Management Report: Publication

    • Oral Answers to Questions
    • As a minister

    Some of these cases can be very complex and have their own unique issues, and some of them involve leases, which do not fall under the remit of my Department. I advise anyone who has concerns or is facing challenges in relation to their current shared property management arrangement to seek independent legal advice.

    Not flagged

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  25. Debate contribution: Shared Property Management Report: Publication

    • Oral Answers to Questions
    • As a minister

    The scoping report was commissioned for internal use in the first instance in order to determine the issues relating to shared property management and to consider various options for policy development and future reform. I can update the Members today by indicating that I have asked officials to take steps to put in…

    Not flagged

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

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