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.
Thank you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker. Today, I will address a matter of critical importance: the integrity of our welfare system. That is crucial not only for those who are recipients of the support that it provides or those who one day may depend on it but for those who contribute to it through their taxes and, in…
Thank you. I thank everybody who has taken part in the debate. We kicked off with Áine Murphy highlighting the struggles faced by farmers. The inheritance tax changes will jeopardise farming futures. Farms of over 27 hectares will be impacted. Because of rising land prices, farmers will be forced to sell land to pay…
Thank you very much, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I thank the Members for tabling the motion. This is primarily a reserved matter on taxation, but I am happy to respond, and I will respond to the motion as tabled. As Members will know, the issue raised in the motion has caused and continues to cause significant…
I will begin by clarifying some figures before outlining why I oppose the motion. The proposed changes will mean that farmers pay inheritance tax at half the normal rate on property transfers above £1 million. Two people with farmland, depending on the circumstances, can pass on £2 million and, in some cases, up to £3…
Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. The Labour Government have proved once again that they have no empathy with the farmer. If they did, they would not have dealt such a brutal blow to the future of family farming through their inheritance tax extension policy. In Northern Ireland, land prices are, in some…
I thank the Member for giving way. As someone who lost two uncles in farm accidents, I think that what is lost on people is not only the impact that such deaths have on the family but the particular impact that they have on a local community, of which the farmer is the bedrock.
I also declare an interest: my in-laws are farmers. It is no surprise that, as a representative for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, I see at first hand the massive impact that Labour's ill-thought-out inheritance tax policy is having on our family farms. That is what I want to focus on: the real-life impact on our farming…
Like my fellow Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA, I declare an interest: I come from a farm family. Like other Members, I welcome Sinn Féin's motion and the opportunity to return to a topic that is of great urgency and profound significance for our rural communities and farm families. I have listened to and heard the…
Does the Member agree that, if parties in this place and in Westminster do not U-turn on policy, we will go back to the situation of 1870, when only 3% of Irish farmers owned their land?
I welcome the debate as another opportunity for the House to talk about family farming and the hugely positive impact that farming has had on the Northern Ireland landscape since its inception. Anybody who follows the debate closely will realise that you cannot escape the issue. In whatever farming sector you are in,…
I welcome the motion, which keeps an important issue on the agenda. I spoke on the issue in the Chamber in November when the new inheritance tax rules were announced. At the time, I and many others pointed out that the impact on Northern Ireland farmers would be harsh due to the comparatively high value of land in the…
The announcement of the Chancellor's Budget in autumn 2024 not only dealt a body blow to the agriculture industry in Northern Ireland but was a complete betrayal of our hard-working family farmers, who are the cornerstone of our economy and a fundamental part of our local communities and rural life. The dismantling of…
Before I begin my remarks, I declare an interest as I was brought up on a family farm. I stand firm in support of our farming communities, which are under threat from an unjust tax that jeopardises not only their future but the very foundation of our rural economy in Fermanagh and South Tyrone. The British…
I thank the Member for giving way. Does he also realise that the point should be made that there will be young people on that farm, for example, a son, who may work for less than a minimum wage throughout his career until he inherits the farm? Does the Member recognise that?
Gabhaim buíochas fosta le mo chara Déaglán agus a chomhChomhaltaí as ucht an rún seo a chur osár gcomhair. People have asked what the scale of this is. Those who are not off the land, whose families are not engaged in farming and whose families have not held in ownership the land, which, we know, is a very important…
I welcome the motion tabled by Sinn Féin in the names of Declan McAleer, Nicola Brogan and Áine Murphy. It is really useful to be able to highlight the mounting financial pressures that face farming families across Northern Ireland. Those pressures are compounded by inflation, rising living costs, planning…
I support the motion and thank the Members who tabled it for bringing the debate to the Chamber. All of us are aware that, understandably, protests have occurred across Northern Ireland in response to recent changes to inheritance tax that will profoundly impact on family farms. The situation underscores the deep…
I highlighted that issue when responding to comments on the statement that I brought to the Assembly last week. It is notable that, although I had put it on the record that funding was provided in the Foyle constituency to a Catholic maintained school, not one of those who subsequently asked questions at the Education…
FlaggedSectarianism, hate crime and community relationsCriteria met: Identity framing.
I thank the Minister for providing clarity on the matter. With his closing comments in mind, is he aware of any similar media or political focus on the decision to fund a pitch at a school in the maintained sector, not the controlled sector, in Foyle in recent years?
Members need to reflect on their approach. They owe that school an apology, as does the Education Committee. I went to the Committee for two hours to talk about children with special educational needs and all the other issues in our education system. For 90 minutes, the Committee prioritised an investigation — if you…
I thank the Member for his question. The answer is no. Nobody in the House has yet apologised for the misrepresentation of the scheme. People ask why there is a lack of confidence and trust in these institutions' taking of decisions. There is a lack of confidence and trust when Members deliberately misrepresent the…
I am happy to give the Member a written update on where we are currently at with the processes and the time frame to which we are working. He raises an important point. I commissioned work on forward planning to identify need and how we align with the schools estate to meet that need. The Education Authority has been…