All of Mr Robbie Butler’s imported questions, contributions and motions in this mandate, newest first, including those assessed as not flagged, uncertain or not yet analysed.
I bring to the attention of the House a service of remembrance that was held yesterday in St John's Church of Ireland in Moneymore called 'Life Beyond'. I think that it was the third such ecumenical service. It is run by Rural Support and Embrace FARM. The purpose of the service is to remember farmers who have died by…
Motion Amendment · Private Members' Motion · to “Opposing Plans for the Nutrients Action Programme 2026-2029”
Opposing Plans for the Nutrients Action Programme 2026-2029 - Amendment 2 Leave out all after ‘Northern Ireland;’ and insert: “including, but not limited to, pollution arising from agricultural activity and underinvestment in wastewater treatment infrastructure; acknowledges the significant concerns within the farming…
I associate myself with the comments that have been made across the House. Holding any Minister's feet to the fire should never descend into personal attack, particularly around sexual orientation, so the Minister has my full solidarity on that matter. Minister, I will hold your feet to the fire, however. There is a…
Thank you very much, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I appreciate that. I can confirm to the Member that the Committee is interested in efficiencies, as all Committees should be. We have put a series of questions to the Department about the different departmental functions, including staffing, recruitment and…
Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. Having read the motion and the amendment, I found that the motion contained four obvious tenets. One was the inarguable realism as it started out, and then there was the arguable perspective on some of the fallout of Brexit and the protocol. That was followed by its…
Improving Sentencing Practices in Northern Ireland That this Assembly recognises the independence and vital role of the Northern Ireland judiciary and acknowledges the complex nature of the cases that come before the courts; supports the requirement for all judges to take part in ongoing personal and professional…
I welcome the opportunity to speak on the motion. Hopefully, I will not go left or right but speak to the truth and, as the Member for South Belfast said, talk about the topic in a "mature, measured" way. The reality is that people are talking about this topic, whether you take a side or not. It is a debate that…
I commend the Minister for what many people rightly consider to be some of the most significant increases in training places in many years. Is he able to give us an indication of just how significant those increases will be, in particular across the AHP programmes?
Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I urge all Members who have listened to the debate to support the amendment. I do so whilst firmly acknowledging one area where there should be no ambiguity, and that is the repatriation or return of human remains. Let us be clear: holding human remains, especially those taken without…
I associate myself with the remarks made by Mrs Dillon about Dementia Action Week. My sister-in-law, who is only in her late 50s, has been impacted by the disease, as has her family. I thank the Member for mentioning the issue. I congratulate Park School in Belfast on its production of 'Superhero School', which has…
The Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs first considered the SL1 for these draft regulations at its meeting on 10 April 2025. The Committee heard from the officials that DAERA intended to make a statutory rule to introduce the Farming with Nature Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025 to provide the…
Given that Brexit and the Windsor framework were certainly mis-sold, has there been overstatement and hyperbole about this agreement between the UK Government and the EU? Industry experts are now saying that it is tantamount to an agreement to agree, and a lot of the stuff that has been promised has not actually been…
I will wrap it up pretty quickly, if I can. I highlight the unprecedented pressures that face our agri-food and rural sectors. Whilst the wider Budget implications extend further than our Finance Department, there is no doubt that the most imminent crisis for the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural…
Motion Amendment · Private Members' Motion · to “Decolonisation of Museum Collections and Repatriation of Artefacts”
Decolonisation of Museum Collections and Repatriation of Artefacts - Amendment 1 Leave out all after ‘impacted’ and insert: ‘: recognises that many museums are already working under significant financial constraints and that their primary responsibility must remain the preservation, interpretation, and accessibility…
I thank the Member from East Londonderry for moving such a positive, proactive motion, even though I feel that it needs an amendment. I welcome the motion and the attention that it brings to a hugely important issue: tackling the impact of online harms on young people. However, it does not just affect young people; as…
I thank the Minister for her detailed answer. The Minister will know the phrase, "Nothing about us without us". Will she detail what consultation there has been with the disabled community in getting the Bill to where it is now?
I thank the Member for giving way. I was hoping that Mr Carroll would bring that up in his speech. I was unsure as to the purpose of trade union representation. As a former trade union representative in the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, when I lobbied on pay issues, I was representing the members — the…
I thank the Principal Deputy Speaker for raising that issue. When I looked at some of the amendments that were permitted, I thought that the Speaker's Office had been incredibly generous. Is the Member able to point to any clauses in the Bill that would stop an independent body from considering anything that he has…
Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. My party's position has been clear throughout. We set it out firmly during the Second Stage debate, in which I spoke. We will support the amendments tabled by the Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee: amendment Nos 1, 9, 10, 12 and 14. As has been outlined, while those amendments…
I want to mark the end of International Compost Awareness Week, which ran from 4 May to 10 May. It was a week dedicated entirely to compost, proving that even potato peelings, grass cuttings, banana skins and yesterday's leftovers can enjoy a bit of positive PR. Behind the humour, however, is a serious message, which…