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.
I thank the First Minister for the answer. Evidence to the Executive Office Committee last week was clear that there are people, even people who are still resident in Northern Ireland, who are not aware of the redress scheme on the historic institutional abuse of children. What specific learning has been taken to…
We are going through the research. We will then have to make decisions based on the information that comes forward. We want the process to be inclusive. It is important that we ensure that all the voices that want to be heard are heard. I will take the question away. If you have identified particular issues, I would…
My personal view on Casement Park is well known and has been rehearsed over and over again in the House. I want the Communities Minister to move and work with the GAA to complete the project. The GAA community deserves nothing less. I want to invest in sport. Sport should be a big unifier, not something that divides…
First Minister, as with statements on a lot of other issues, one year on since restoration, the public see words but not delivery at Stormont. Can you confirm when Casement Park will be delivered? How often have you and your colleague raised it with the Communities Minister? When in 2025 will we see the 2024…
I am absolutely committed to ensuring that Casement Park is built. It is one of the outstanding projects. It must be done, and I will ensure that we continue to raise it until the project is completed. I believe in investment in the west of the city. It will be an enormous booster for the economy and for sport. It is…
Money matters to being able to invest in our health service. On day 1, when we entered the Executive in February of last year, we collectively made it clear that the funding model that we had was not fit for purpose. We have made strides forward to change that. We have achieved hundreds of millions of pounds of…
It is well recognised in the sector and by the public that transformation of our health services is the long-term solution to our problems, but the short-term solution requires finance. Will the Executive give the Health Minister the finance that he requires to reduce the waiting lists? Does the First Minister agree…
I am here to do business. I am here to work with Executive colleagues, and I am glad that, as we approach the 1st anniversary of working together in the Executive, we have delivered tangible benefits for the wider public. I am committed to being here every day. I am committed to working with others, I am committed to…
Will the First Minister and deputy First Minister give a commitment not to collapse the institutions again, given the untold damage that suspension has caused to health transformation and outcomes, as we see in emergency departments across Northern Ireland?
Yes. We all know that there are no quick fixes, but we also know that the ingrained problems across health and social care have been there for a long time. We need a transformation plan on paper that people can understand. We need to talk to the public about how we will improve their health outcomes. That requires a…
Minister, on the point that you have just made, it is necessary for us to see a plan for the winter pressures and a plan to fix the health service as a whole, with a time frame for that plan. Is that what we need to see now? As an Assembly, we have been clear that we want to support the Health Minister and work with…
We had a collective Executive discussion on that last week. We can all say that the situation facing patients right now is not acceptable. The situation facing our Health and Social Care workers is not acceptable. The winter comes every year, so we should be prepared and ready. I want to be helpful to the Health…
Thank you for your answer, First Minister, and I hear what you say. However, this has been a relatively mild winter, and we have the same problem with waiting lists every year. Hundreds of people are waiting to get into hospital, and, indeed, hundreds are waiting to get out. Does the First Minister have any…
One of our key priorities as an Executive is the health and well-being of our people. We are committed to working together to deliver the transformation needed to deal with the pressures facing the health and social care system. Following a recent meeting of the Executive, we issued a statement on winter pressures. We…
I do not believe that our Department has had any direct discussions, but I am sure that there has been engagement across other Departments, such as the Department of Justice. I know that we are collaborating at official level, given that it is important that we pick up what works well elsewhere, learn from it and do…
First Minister, can you detail the engagement that the Executive Office has had with the British Government on online harm that causes violence against women and girls in Northern Ireland?
Yes. The strategy was about how we can work collectively to end the scourge of violence against women and girls. Coordinating the delivery and success of the challenge funds that we are launching is about how we can work collaboratively with the people who are already on the ground and have the expertise and skills to…
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Chéad-Aire as an fhreagra sin. Minister, can you outline how exactly the fund will work to complement the fantastic work by local groups on the ground to end violence against women and girls?
No issues have been raised with or elevated to us, for sure. Officials have engaged with all 11 councils on the proposals for strand 1 and the local change fund itself. Applications opened in Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council on 6 January and will open across all the other councils between now and March, with…
I thank the First Minister for her answer. How has the engagement between councils and TEO on the change fund been? Have those relationships been positive? Do you foresee difficulties in the roll-out of the scheme?
The strategy aims to bring that joined-up coordinated approach, whether that is across councils or working with the Executive and all Departments on their responsibilities. The fund is consistent across all councils, so it is important that we are joined up. It is important that we support projects on the ground that…
Thank you, First Minister. Are there any mechanisms in your Department to ensure that there is coordination between councils when it comes to dispersing the local change fund?
Mr Speaker, with your permission, I will answer questions 5 and 12 together. The ending violence against women and girls first delivery plan was published last September. It sets out key actions to support collaboration across government and wider society. It focuses on prevention and early intervention over the next…
We have not engaged with Scotland or Wales on the issue. I think that Dublin is the only place in Europe that has pre-clearance at this stage. We will continue to make the case for connectivity. It is written in the draft Programme for Government that connectivity is so important to growing our economy. We should…
First Minister, have you had the opportunity to consult our friends in Scotland and, indeed, in Manchester? Edinburgh, Glasgow and Manchester are looking for pre-clearance as well. That would be well within the remit of the great airport that is Belfast International Airport, which is, of course, in my constituency.