Debate contribution: Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill: Consideration Stage
Debate contribution by Mr Danny Baker on .
- MLA
- Mr Danny Baker
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 21 September 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Private Members' Business
- Heading
- Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill: Consideration Stage
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5743073
Read the official Assembly record
Text
They are very technical amendments, so any Members who were to divide on them would be dancing on the head of a pin. You were trying to return to the principles of the Bill. Your Minister —
You can laugh, but not a single amendment has come from the DUP Benches. You did not even engage at Committee Stage. You kept saying that you reserve the right to decide at the end. You did nothing but talk about the principles of the Bill during Committee Stage.
Your Minister did not even show up today. He did not show up. I do not know what you want me to say about that. I do not care whether you vote for the amendments. That is the reality. It does not matter, because you do not support the Bill. These are technical amendments.
I know, but you got up to say that you would support the payment but only if it were paid through the welfare system. The DUP holds the Department that deals with welfare as well. Again, you are dancing on the head of a pin. I am getting off the subject. I will bring my remarks back to the Bill. We will work at the next stage. If we need to table that wee amendment, we will — we may not need to — and we will move on from there. I look forward to the Bill becoming legislation.
239 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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