All of Mr Matthew O'Toole’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 whether he will review guidance provided to local councils and affected residents to ensure privacy and security concerns are considered when their home is listed.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I am not entirely sure why I am being called to speak. I gave the Finance Committee's view in the previous debate, which was that the Committee gave its agreement. I am content to proceed. I have given the Finance Committee's view, which is on the record from the previous debate.
I appreciate the Minister's offering some insight into that matter. Will he give us a timeline for when he expects to be able to provide clarity? Does he have a meeting coming up with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, or is he talking just about ongoing correspondence between his officials and Treasury officials?…
Minister, I acknowledge and have sympathy with some of the arguments that you have made about other Executive parties' hypocrisy, but would it not be easier to get political support and buy-in and, indeed, public engagement on your budgetary needs if the Programme for Government were more specific about the actions…
Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. The Budget Bill lists the various areas in which the Executive are spending money, but it offers no prioritisation. A Budget Bill is simply a list of areas in which money is legally spent, but there is no opportunity for the public to know how much money is being spent on…
I am happy to return to the Budget Bill, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. Of course, I respect any guidance from the Chair. It is important to say that the Bill authorises literally every bit of spending by the Executive. In theory, everything is within the scope of the Budget Bill, because, if there were no Budget…
Job Creation and Cross-Border Co-operation in the North West That this Assembly recognises the significant economic opportunities available in the North West in areas such as health and life sciences, renewable energy, regulated manufacturing and fintech; notes the significant potential benefits of dual market access…
Establishing a Dedicated Treatment and Recovery Centre in the North West That this Assembly recognises the growing crisis of substance misuse and addiction in the North West; notes that the North West experiences some of the highest rates of drug and alcohol dependency in Northern Ireland; acknowledges the significant…
North West Transport That this Assembly acknowledges the North West Transport Plan 2035 (NWTP) as a long-overdue step towards addressing the region’s infrastructure needs; recognises that inadequate transport infrastructure has long acted as a barrier to economic growth, investment, and connectivity in the North West;…
I appreciate the Minister giving way, and I genuinely welcome the fact that he is up for debate on this. That is to his credit. He talks about coming forward with an alternative: I agree with him. That is why, as an Opposition, we have asked for money to be prioritised. We have tried to come up with alternatives. Does…
I thank the Member for giving way. I go back to his earlier remarks. On the prioritisation of Health and the state of the health service, we, as the Opposition, have always said that the Executive's priority needs to be to give Health not just a budget but a budget next to a clear plan to get waiting lists down. That…
Will the Member agree that, when it comes to what are often called "difficult decisions" — cuts, if you prefer — the trade-off for the public and, indeed, the people working in those services is supposed to be that the Minister and the Executive produce a plan that will lead to, as Diane Dodds mentioned, shorter…
Thank you, Minister. In fact, you mentioned the Fiscal Commission earlier, but the Fiscal Commission does not exist any more. It reported three years ago. So far, there has been virtually no progress made on delivering on any of its findings. You mentioned the rating review cycle earlier. Your predecessor said that…
Minister, you have a well-earned reputation for plain speaking, but I am afraid that you are not living up to that reputation today. I am still absolutely none the wiser as to how much this is going to cost the Executive. You must know; if you do not, then you are not doing your job. I welcome you to your new job; I…
Thank you, deputy First Minister. My party has always believed in engaging in the US and not just with the Administration. She and I were interns many years ago in Washington, I believe, and engaged with people there. In recent weeks, people in Northern Ireland and elsewhere will have seen the new president suggest…
Deputy First Minister, you said earlier that you and the First Minister were driving delivery: I would hate to see the instructor who passed you both in the test. I suggest that you need to revisit some of that.
Deputy First Minister, an ordinary, reasonable person out there who looked at a target for 2024 that is just about half met in 2025 would think that that is pathetic. The Executive promised a modest list of Bills that they are not even halfway through. When will the 2024 legislative programme be complete? Furthermore,…
Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I have 10 minutes, although I may not use them all. Thank you for taking my point of order on the anomaly that relates to my two roles. It is important that it be resolved. Today and tomorrow, we will have a significant opportunity to debate the Budget process in the…