All of Ms Michelle O'Neill’s imported questions, contributions and motions in this mandate, newest first, including those assessed as not flagged, uncertain or not yet analysed.
In line with the requirements of the Identity and Language Act 2022, we are jointly responsible for the appointment of the Irish language commissioner, the commissioner for Ulster Scots and the Ulster-British tradition and the director and members of the board of the Office of Identity and Cultural Expression. We are…
Yes. As I said in my previous answer, there is no agreement in the Executive Office on the issue. I have also read that report and very much welcome more such reports coming into the public, which in itself encourages conversation and creates an opportunity for people to have hard data on what that looks like and the…
It is more a question of why you are so surprised that there is no agreement on that issue in this office. It is no secret to anybody that I am an Irish republican who wants to unite the people of the island. It is also no secret to anybody that the deputy First Minister is a unionist who wants to maintain the link to…
I agree with you absolutely. We should all work towards a situation where there are no barriers to trade across these islands, on this island and between our islands. That is where we should all aim to be, and we have highlighted that in every meeting and conversation that we have had. In May, we have a bilateral with…
Thanks. We all witnessed the shock waves that arose as a direct result of the tariff announcements, which have created much uncertainty and concern. Businesses are struggling, and they find themselves back in the situation of not knowing what is going to happen next. One thing that businesses dislike more than…
That is something that the Economy Minister also raised with her counterpart. We do not know where this is going to end, but, if we find ourselves in a position at the end of this whereby, for example, you have to apply for the reimbursement, that needs to be simplified. They need to make it easy. Businesses cannot…
The question was more of a general question. Let me be clear: tariffs will serve none of us well. They are bad for business and create uncertainty. They can lead to so much uncertainty that we could end up with a hike in inflation. It is therefore not a good scenario for anybody. What is important right now is…
With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will answer questions 5 and 13 together. The announcements that the US Administration made on 2 April set significant tariffs on goods entering the US market from over 60 countries and included 20% tariffs on EU goods and 10% on UK goods. Although President Trump has since announced…
It is not just one area of work; we have identified a range of areas of work. The interim public-sector transformation board is already established. It is a non-statutory independent body, the primary role of which will be to advise and make recommendations on how to utilise funding that has been ring-fenced for…
We will continue to work with the sector — that is vital. We have to have open communication, because the sector can help us so much in what we want to achieve, particularly when it comes to the transformation agenda and doing things better. I will certainly continue to work with NICVA as the representative…
As I said, we can all attest to the value of the community and voluntary sector in our constituencies. It is very much the lifeblood of our local communities, and the work that it does on the ground day to day really makes a difference to people's lives. I concur with the Member and commend the work of our community…
We have had no specific conversations about that measurement piece, but it makes good sense. Having established our delivery unit and as we move to transforming public services, we have to open our eyes to the things that work well in society. Often, from my experience — it sounds as though it is also your experience…
The reform and transformation of our public services is an Executive priority, as laid out in the Programme for Government. The voluntary and community sector is, obviously, a key partner in helping to address the challenges facing our public services here. Our officials regularly engage with the sector in the…
As I said, our junior Ministers met Ofcom in the past number of weeks to chat about the work that they are doing around the strategy and what that looks like. Ofcom has set out three objectives — they are very much geared towards online providers — for what, it hopes, the draft guidance will achieve: to give providers…
Thank you for that. You are absolutely right that it requires that whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach if we are to end the scourge of violence and misogyny towards women and girls, whether that be online, at work, in school or at home. We all have to continue to do everything that we can. We need to…
First, I have said this to the Member before and will repeat it: we need to be very sensitive about these issues. They are complex issues, and we need to work our way through the outworking of the Supreme Court ruling. We are all aware of the headline — you have just spoken about it in the Chamber — but you forgot to…
No, I think that we all need to work together. It is a societal problem that we have to address together. The Member might be aware that Ofcom is consulting on draft guidance that sets out nine areas where tech firms should do more to impose online safety. That is the right way in which we need to engage with the…
The online environment is becoming increasingly unsafe for women and girls. Online abuse normalises harmful behaviour and can have long-lasting impacts. The ending violence against women and girls strategic framework recognises the need to address online harm. We are continuing to work with partners to address all…
Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. I had the privilege as First Minister of attending the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday. It was a honour to join world leaders to pay our respects to a man who defined the best of human values. It is therefore with great sadness that I today express my deepest condolences…
The deputy First Minister has her personal view on the record. I undertook to bring this forward, in one sense because it is a legal duty, but it is also a moral duty, folks. It is a moral duty: we have to do it. I am absolutely determined to work with others to ensure that that is the case. I thank Members for their…
Thank you, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. . Thanks to many of the Members who spoke for their sensible contributions to the debate. In some ways, it is a repeat of the debate that we had in 2022. I want to pick up on some of the points that were raised today. It would be short-sighted of anybody having this debate today not…
I beg to move Thank you, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle . Today, we seek the Assembly's approval for the Northern Ireland Climate Commissioner Regulations 2025. It might be useful for Members if I set out the principal considerations that informed the preparation of the statutory rule (SR). The Executive Office proposes to…