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.
Will the Minister agree that an opportunity has been lost with the failure to deliver the Desertcreat tri-service training college, which would have assisted emergency response times, given that road traffic accidents involve a multi-agency response? Will the Minister explain what supports are provided for first…
To ask the Minister of Education to detail the funding allocated to summer schemes in the last five years, broken down by (i) constituency; (ii) school type; and (iii) date allocated.
Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. Do I need to move this? I just get up and open the debate, yes? Thank you. I will wait until you change the Chair, if that is OK. Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank the Minister for giving his time and I thank those Members who have turned up to discuss an issue that strikes at the…
I thank the Member for her supplementary question. The Commission takes a number of things into consideration when it discusses such matters. There were several contractual options, including bringing the staff who provide those services under the employment of the Assembly Commission, or in-house. The options were…
I thank the Member for her question. Under the terms and conditions of the contract, which commenced in January 2023, staff employed in Parliament Buildings for the delivery of catering, cleaning, porterage and related help desk services are directly employed by Aramark. Terms and conditions of employment are…
There is a suggestion that the Member cycle from Strabane. There is no capacity to build a gym; I asked about it in 2016. MLAs have busy schedules, but we also have a duty to look after ourselves. This is not advice from the Commission; my advice is to join a gym and allocate some time to that We can show leadership…
I thank the Member for his question. I agree with the Member about the shower facilities. I am not sure whether he is aware that there are two showers located in the Building. They are communal, and he must make sure that no one is in there when he goes in. I encourage Members to make use of the wonderful grounds for…
I have a lot of answers, and this one might talk slightly more directly to your query about distance markers on the floors. The Assembly Commission recognises that it is a positive suggestion to promote a healthy and active environment, and it shares the commitment. Given that Parliament Buildings is grade A listed,…
I thank the Member for her question. The Assembly Commission recognises that supporting a healthy lifestyle is crucial for various aspects of life, including physical health, mental well-being and overall quality of life. The Assembly Commission encourages its staff and Members to avail themselves of sustainable modes…
To ask the Minister of Education for an update on (i) the policy guidance; and (ii) the current status for pupils in relation to the priority placement of pupils in special schools with additional medical requirements.
To ask the Minister for Infrastructure for an update on his Department's input and plans to alleviate traffic congestion and disruption in Royal Hillsborough.
I thank the Member for giving way. This is something that I am passionate about. The Member and I will disagree on a number of issues, but we certainly agree in and around health and moving forward on a duty of candour. However, does the Member agree that politicians, when they are not here — they were not here for…
Today, we recognise Infant Mental Health Awareness Week. We are reminded of the crucial importance of providing a strong foundation for mental well-being from the earliest stages of life. I thank Stronger from the Start Alliance, a coalition of around 60 voluntary sector organisations, which highlights the importance…
It was great. I have a real passion not just for education but for the children from West Belfast. I have to declare an interest, and the reason is that my dad's family — the Butlers — come from west Belfast. I skinned my knees in Springmartin and Highfield from the late 1970s and through the 1980s, and I ran about…
I had the option tonight of speaking in the debate or leafleting in Lagan Valley. One of my earliest forays into school visits happened in 2016 or 2017, when I visited a school in West Belfast. Pat Sheehan was there. He gave me a handshake and welcomed me to, I think, the Christian Brothers' school on the Glen Road:…
I thank the Member for giving way. Mr Clarke, who shares a role on the Commission, probably broke the convention. I am not sure that he and I were supposed to speak. I will make one point. I have been on the Commission during the whole journey, and the principle on which this was established was set aside. I…
The motion and amendment go right to the heart of the core values of a free press. Over recent years and even going back a number of decades, investigative journalism has shone a bright light into the many dark corners across this country and exposed many scandals that the public would otherwise never have heard…
I put on record my thanks to the Minister for holding a 45-minute meeting with me on the issue on the resumption of the Assembly. She recognised that I wanted to bring a private Member's Bill to achieve what Mr Justice Humphreys did on Friday. Minister, we were in disagreement about how the victims of historical…