Debate contribution: Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill: Consideration Stage
Debate contribution by Mr Nick Mathison on .
- MLA
- Mr Nick Mathison
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 21 September 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Private Members' Business
- Heading
- Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill: Consideration Stage
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5743083
Read the official Assembly record
Text
That was a very feisty debate. I started off with dry and procedural, but everybody else just kicked off and rehearsed the Second Stage debate. I will try to just give you dry and procedural, and maybe we will get the Bill over the line. I do not think that there is any value in going through everybody's contributions in my winding-up speech. Aside from the contributions of Cara Hunter and Michelle Guy, there was precious little discussion of the amendments. The message from those two Members is that they support the amendments and can see the practical and pragmatic benefit that they would bring to the operation of the Bill, should it become an Act. The rest of the debate was clearly centred around the principles of the Bill. To say that there is no meeting of minds in the Chamber on that would be an understatement. We will see what happens in Committee if the Bill moves to the next stage. As I said in my opening remarks, I am very happy to engage with the Bill sponsor if there is anything that needs to be done to tighten up any of those provisions. I want to be really clear: I am very happy to engage with the Department and Minister if concerns remain around any of the technical aspects of the Bill, the drafting or the legal clarity of any of the clauses. I am very happy to engage and continue that work. It would be good to have clear and specific proposals coming through. We want the legislation that ends up on the statute book to be clear and to give clear effect to the policy intent. I hope that, at the next stage, we will be able to nail that down and ensure that that is what happens. I will not go into any further detail at this stage. The Committee will be happy to pick it up in further discussions. We will see what emerges in the form of amendments at Further Consideration Stage, should we get there.
344 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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