Debate contribution: Parliament Buildings: Public Awareness and Accessibility
Debate contribution by Mr Andy Allen MBE on .
- MLA
- Mr Andy Allen MBE
- Party at the time
- Ulster Unionist Party
- Date
- 10 March 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Parliament Buildings: Public Awareness and Accessibility
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5436636
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I thank the Member for his question. The Assembly Commission's approach to promoting access to Parliament Buildings and its services has been developed in consultation with the Equality Commission and underlines our commitment to be an Assembly for everyone. People visit Parliament Buildings for a range of reasons, and the Commission is committed to providing an exemplary and accessible service for all visitors in a manner that respects their dignity and independence and promotes equality of opportunity and choice. The Assembly website has comprehensive information about visiting Parliament Buildings in a variety of formats, including easy-read and a video. The website also has contact details of staff who can assist visitors and answer any questions via telephone or email. We encourage visitors who have additional accessibility requirements to make advance contact with officials so that they can discuss their individual needs or, upon arrival, with the ushering or visitor experience team. In 2025, approximately 50,000 individuals visited Parliament Buildings for a range of purposes, such as casual visits, tours, attendance at functions and events, educational visits and Assembly business meetings. Given the nature of the support services contract, which provides catering throughout Parliament Buildings, a joint approach is taken between the Assembly Commission and the service provider to promote the catering outlets open to the public, namely, the Speaker's Corner gift and coffee shop and the Members' Dining Room. Public awareness has been raised through the Commission’s website, social media campaigns, Tripadvisor and occasional articles in the local press. Given the excellent service provided, word of mouth has played an important role in raising public awareness. In 2025, 8,090 people enjoyed lunch or afternoon tea in the Members' Dining Room and 9,652 transactions were recorded in the Speaker's Corner coffee shop.
291 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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