Debate contribution: Display of Flags and Emblems Bill: Second Stage
Debate contribution by Mrs Emma Little-Pengelly on .
- MLA
- Mrs Emma Little-Pengelly
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 14 September 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Private Members' Business
- Heading
- Display of Flags and Emblems Bill: Second Stage
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5686693
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I thank the Member for giving way again. What he has set out about the actual real-life implications of the draft legislation is very important. As it stands, there is a Sinn Féin Minister for Infrastructure. As it stands, in the Bill from the Alliance Party, it is very clear that key decisions will then lie solely with the Minister because, of course, it refers to "the Department", and the Department is entirely under the direction and control of the Minister. To be clear to members of the public about what the draft legislation will do, it will provide a statutory code of practice that gives a Sinn Féin Infrastructure Minister the absolute ability, solely, without scrutiny and without the ability of the House or a Committee to challenge it, to decide:
"how flags or emblems ought to be displayed and taken down ... what is an excessive period of time for a flag or emblem to be displayed for",
"how communities ought to be respected"
and
"how events ought to be respected".
That will be in the hands of one party where there has been significant controversy about those issues. That is what this legislation does. It is incredibly important that the sponsor of the Member's Bill is honest with people about what its impact will be and the potential controversy that it will cause.
226 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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