Analysis in progress: 97,637 of 97,960 records assessed (99.7%). Totals and rankings will change until it finishes. Progress details
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 39 of 64.
Each procurement exercise will have its own contract. Departments should monitor those and satisfy themselves from the outset that the procurement process is being followed properly and that, as I said to the previous questioner, value for money is being achieved. The Department of Finance sets out policy on those…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Procurement Practices Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Procurement Practices
That is a matter for the Department of Health, the Health Minister and, indeed, the Health Committee to assess and interrogate. It is important that public funds are used wisely and are accounted for. It is also important that we are getting maximum value for money and that small- and medium-sized enterprises are not…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Procurement Practices Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Procurement Practices
I am committed to ensuring that our procurement practices are simplified and easily accessible for local businesses, particularly as 85% of businesses here have between one and nine employees, and 97% have fewer than 50 employees. The simplification of the procurement processes and practices for contracts that are…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Procurement Practices Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Procurement Practices
At the beginning of March, the Executive approved an increase in procurement control limits to reflect inflation over the past five years and to introduce greater flexibilities for public bodies. The new limits were effective immediately. The changes allow public bodies to target spending below £50,000, or £65,000 for…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Procurement Practices Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Procurement Practices
Since the break-in and further incidents of attempted unauthorised access, all locks on the entry and exit doors to Dundonald House have been changed, chains and padlocks have been put in place where access is believed to have been gained, access to the roof has been closed off and 24-hour on-site security has been…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Prison Service: Secure Document Storage Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Prison Service: Secure Document Storage
The Member is correct, and it is on the record: Dundonald House was accessed in recent times. However, the room containing Prison Service files was not accessed, and, even if it had been, there would have been no access to the storage facilities in which the files were held. I asked whether the room was entered and…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Prison Service: Secure Document Storage Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Prison Service: Secure Document Storage
With the creation of the centralised NICS HR function in 2017, the data controller for all Civil Service staff files moved to the Department of Finance. Given the security considerations for prison-grade staff, it was agreed that all live and legacy hard copies would remain in NI Prison Service headquarters.
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Prison Service: Secure Document Storage Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Prison Service: Secure Document Storage
I beg to move Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I welcome the opportunity to open the debate on this incredibly important legislation. The Bill is an important step forward for our registration services. Few things touch the lives of everyone who lives here in the way that the registration of…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Bill: Second Stage Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Bill: Second Stage
Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Thank you for the opportunity to make a statement on the final Budget 2025-26. The Executive agreed their final Budget for 2025-26 on 3 April, and I made a written ministerial statement on the same day. Given the pressures that the Executive faced and the limited…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Budget 2025-26 Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Budget 2025-26
I detected no voices against the regulations. Everyone sees the value of passing the regulations and of the common recognition of qualifications, in this case in the legal profession, between Switzerland and here. I have nothing to add other than to commend the regulations to the Assembly.
Assessment details for Debate contribution: The draft Recognition of Professional Qualifications and Implementation of International Recognition Agreements (Amendment) (Extension to Switzerland etc.) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025 Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: The draft Recognition of Professional Qualifications and Implementation of International Recognition Agreements (Amendment) (Extension to Switzerland etc.) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025
I beg to move Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. The regulations give effect to an agreement on the recognition of professional qualifications that the UK and Switzerland signed in June 2023 that relates to the legal profession here. Supporting regulations have been made in Westminster for a variety of…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: The draft Recognition of Professional Qualifications and Implementation of International Recognition Agreements (Amendment) (Extension to Switzerland etc.) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025 Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: The draft Recognition of Professional Qualifications and Implementation of International Recognition Agreements (Amendment) (Extension to Switzerland etc.) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025
Thank you, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I welcome the opportunity to participate in today's debate on tackling the financial and societal impacts of division. The 2016 Ulster University Economic Policy Centre study, which Members have been discussing today, suggested a broad range in the possible cost of division of…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Tackling the Financial and Societal Impacts of Division Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Tackling the Financial and Societal Impacts of Division
I beg to introduce the Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Bill [NIA 13/22-27], which is a Bill to amend the law relating to the manner of notification of deaths, still-births and births and the manner of giving particulars relating to them; and to make provision for the issue of certificates recognising the loss of a…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Bill: First Stage Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Bill: First Stage
Second Stage: Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Bill (NIA Bill 13/22-27)
Assessment details for Motion or amendment: Second Stage: Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Bill (NIA Bill 13/22-27) Official Assembly record for Motion or amendment: Second Stage: Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Bill (NIA Bill 13/22-27)
I thank Members for their contributions; I have nothing further to add. I welcome Members' support during the consideration of the LCM on this short law-reform Bill.
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Property (Digital Assets etc) Bill: Legislative Consent Motion Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Property (Digital Assets etc) Bill: Legislative Consent Motion
I beg to move Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. The legislative consent motion (LCM) relates to the Property (Digital Assets etc) Bill. It is a short Bill, containing just one substantive provision, and the proposal is that it be extended to this jurisdiction. The law relating to personal property rights in…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Property (Digital Assets etc) Bill: Legislative Consent Motion Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Property (Digital Assets etc) Bill: Legislative Consent Motion
This year, the Civil Service will complete a gender review to assess the gender composition of its workforce and applicant pools to inform a programme of outreach activity and strengthen existing links with the education sector to promote professions that are gender-dominated, such as science, engineering and…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Civil Service: Gender Diversity Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Civil Service: Gender Diversity
As I have previously stated, the Civil Service is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. Females made up 50·2% of the Civil Service workforce in 2024, closely matching the economically active population of 49·5%. The Civil Service has made progress on increasing its gender diversity, with the trend of…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Civil Service: Gender Diversity Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Civil Service: Gender Diversity
I have been in post for only a few weeks. I have had no cross-departmental engagement on the high street task force in that time, but I am more than happy to write to the Member about any engagement that happened prior to my coming into office. As I said, I will meet the business sectors tomorrow, including…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: High Street Task Force Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: High Street Task Force
As I said, I will meet the business sector tomorrow, including representatives of the retail sector, to continue discussions about how we will support high streets. The rate relief schemes that we have in place are vital in that regard. The continuing business programme, Back in Business, the extension of which I…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: High Street Task Force Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: High Street Task Force
Those are matters for the financial providers. The community and voluntary sector has done good work in spreading information, particularly to older people, about being aware of the potential for scams either online or by phone. As I said, we will continue to engage with the financial sector to ensure that it does…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Older People: Online Financial Services Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Older People: Online Financial Services
My predecessor engaged with the banking sector on a number of occasions, and I will do likewise. In fact, I think that we have set in place an annual meeting to discuss financial inclusion with the banking services to ensure that, to use your example, older people are not left behind.
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Older People: Online Financial Services Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Older People: Online Financial Services
One hundred and forty-one registered childcare providers receive rate relief through the small business rate relief scheme. That support has been extended by my Department for this rating year.
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Affordable Childcare Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Affordable Childcare
That is an area in which the Executive have made huge strides. In the 2024-25 Budget, from a standstill, we invested £25 million in early learning and childcare. The draft Budget that is out for consultation is looking to invest £50 million and add another £5 million as part of the June monitoring round. We have made…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Affordable Childcare Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Affordable Childcare
The "nonsense" that Mr Gaston talks about also refers to support for people with disabilities, deaf people and people with sight impairments. It is nonsense only if you do not agree with it. Is that what we are going to base it on? I am not going to base the equality work in my Department on whether I agree with it.…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Diversity, Equality and Inclusion
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