Every imported question, contribution and motion, with its classification. Unflagged, uncertain and not-yet-analysed records are all included so the analysis can be checked independently.
Minister, thank you for allowing me in. Is the Minister surprised that, when the Committee for Communities met Northern Ireland Water, it confirmed that housing was not part of its priorities? The only priority is clean water and the provision of it, and NIW has no intention of dealing with housing issues.
I thank the Minister for giving way, and I am sorry that he will not support our motion. Genuinely, we are not too precious about which Department would take it forward, and we have come to him as the Minister responsible for social housing and the Minister who is bringing proposals to the Executive on the disposal of…
Thank you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank the mover of the motion and all those who have contributed to the debate, and I welcome the opportunity to respond to it. Through the housing supply strategy and the inclusion of housing as a priority in the Programme for Government, I have provided a renewed focus on…
It is right to highlight, as the motion does, the critical need for social and affordable housing across Northern Ireland. It is commendable that the Minister has a target to deliver at least 100,000 new homes by 2039, with 33,000 of those being social homes, as outlined in the housing supply strategy. However, I have…
I thank the Member for giving way. I agree with much of what she has said, particularly about the right-to-buy scheme. Does the Member recall — she certainly will — that, when legislation was brought in to end the right to buy in housing associations, the SDLP tabled an amendment to extend that to the Housing…
There are lots of figures. The Minister probably has them all in his lines to take, and they do not really change much, to be fair. The areas with the worst housing stress have typically been in North Belfast, West Belfast, Foyle, and Newry and Armagh. Undoubtedly, there are needs across the board, but, in North…
I thank the proposers of the motion. Back in November 2020, Sinn Féin outlined the direction of travel that needed to be taken for our housing, recognising that a good home is one that is affordable, secure and comfortable and the very foundation of the social, physical and mental well-being of our children, young…
When we talk about there being tens of thousands of people on our housing waiting lists, it is important to remember, as other Members have highlighted and as the Minister will no doubt highlight, that they are individuals, families and people, young and old, who are languishing in a housing system that is broken.…
We have a housing crisis in Northern Ireland. That means that more children, families and individuals are living in temporary accommodation — in homelessness — than ever before. The issue of building on public land in Northern Ireland is one of both opportunity and challenge. We know that demand for public housing,…
Most MLAs will say that housing is the number-one reason why constituents contact their offices. That is certainly the case for my North Belfast office, which is contacted particularly by people seeking social housing. We are all aware that housing supply is not keeping pace with demand, not just in Northern Ireland…
I thank the Members who tabled the motion. Sinn Féin believes that housing is a human right. Everyone in our society, no matter their age or the background from which they come, should have access to a decent and affordable home of their own. A home is not just a roof over someone's head; it is fundamental to the…
I beg to move Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Housing is a fundamental right. It is the foundation on which people build their lives, communities and futures, yet thousands of families across Northern Ireland remain in desperate need of a home while publicly owned land lies idle. The motion provides a…
I detected no voices against the regulations. Everyone sees the value of passing the regulations and of the common recognition of qualifications, in this case in the legal profession, between Switzerland and here. I have nothing to add other than to commend the regulations to the Assembly.
The mutual recognition of comparable qualifications is a welcome step that provides people with the opportunity to move to other countries and gain employment through the skills and experience that they have developed. These specific regulations will enable those who have received legal qualifications in Switzerland…
I beg to move Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. The regulations give effect to an agreement on the recognition of professional qualifications that the UK and Switzerland signed in June 2023 that relates to the legal profession here. Supporting regulations have been made in Westminster for a variety of…
Last Tuesday, I lodged a petition in the Business Office to refer Minister Kimmins's divisive move to the Executive and subject it to a cross-community vote. In order for that petition to be successful, 29 other names are required. Minister Kimmins's decision has caused significant unease amongst unionist MLAs. I…
FlaggedSectarianism, hate crime and community relationsCriteria met: Identity framing, Cultural grievance politics, Controversy escalation.
I congratulate the staff and inmates at Magilligan prison who marked a very special milestone recently. Most of us are familiar with the weekly parkruns that take place all over the world. Recently, on a Saturday morning, Magilligan prison marked its 250th parkrun. I believe that Magilligan's Lower Drummans parkrun is…
It has been 24 days since our First Minister stated that she was "incredulous" that export credit scheme money would be used to help Thales to build air defence missiles for Ukraine in its fight against Putin. Last week, she said that UK defence spending was a "macho agenda of militarisation". In that 24-day period,…
It is a disgrace that, in 2025, female sport has much fewer numbers, a lack of funding and a lack of facilities and that barriers to participation and growth remain across a range of sports. I recently addressed those issues at the Alliance Party conference with Mollie Davies from Ulster Rugby, and Alliance…
It is fair to say that I and many others did not expect much from the Labour Government. The bar was set so low because of how awful the previous Conservative Administrations were. However, I and many others did not believe that things would be this appallingly bad so quickly. It is not even a year into this…
A couple of weeks ago, I met Nicola Armstrong, the Northern Ireland lead for Beat Eating Disorders, a charity that is doing great work to shed light on the obstacles faced by those affected by such illnesses. I was struck by how many are affected: one in 50 across the UK. The eating disorders anorexia nervosa and…
I rise to speak, once again, about what is happening with rail provision in the north-west. It is not a misunderstanding or an oversight; it is a deliberate and sustained act of regional discrimination. For years, Derry — the second city in Northern Ireland — Castlerock and Bellarena have been treated as second class…
I rise to shine a spotlight on water sports and their reliance on clean water. Water sports have always been popular, but interest and participation took off over the COVID pandemic. I understand that, not just as a participant but as someone who used to work as an instructor and who did a lot to try to encourage…
I, too, raise the fantastic achievements of Carrickfergus Rugby Club. I do not think that we can praise them too much for their fantastic achievements over the weekend. Of course, the first XV lifted the Junior Shield, securing victory against Ards at the Kingspan Stadium on Saturday after a fiercely contested match.…