Debate contribution: Employment Rights Bill
Debate contribution by Dr Caoimhe Archibald on .
- MLA
- Dr Caoimhe Archibald
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 16 June 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Employment Rights Bill
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5623932
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I thank the Member for her question. I have repeatedly stated my preference for the Bill to be with the Committee for the summer recess to allow the longest possible time for scrutiny. Members have talked about how the Bill needs scrutiny and said that people need to have their say on it. I fully support that, which is why I would have liked there to be the longest possible time for it. As I have also said, there is plenty of time for the Bill to be scrutinised. The Committee Stage of the equivalent Westminster legislation took seven weeks. That gives us guidance on the time frame that we are talking about to allow for scrutiny. The Committee can take the time that it wants. I want the Bill to be in Committee at the earliest opportunity, so I would like to see the proposal passed by the Executive. I see absolutely no reason why it cannot be passed at the next Executive meeting or over the summer months so that the Bill can be introduced at the earliest opportunity in September. I will continue to work with my colleagues in the Executive. I have had constructive conversations with all my ministerial colleagues, the vast majority of whom are on record as supporting it. I want to ensure that that work continues so that all Members will see the content of the Bill and that everybody who wants to give a view on it has the ability to do so, which means seeing it as it has been drafted.
260 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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