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.
My Department has progressed significant preparatory work to bring forward domestic abuse protection notices and orders. However, as Members will be aware, the statutory requirement to lay regulations has not been met. My officials are continuing to work with partners to resolve a number of significant and complex…
I refer the Member to my answers to both of the previous questions. The management of the policing estate is a matter for the Chief Constable in cooperation with the Policing Board. It is not a matter that falls to me as Justice Minister, nor would it be appropriate for me to breach the boundaries of the tripartite…
Can the Minister outline the time frame for the closing of Crossmaglen police station, as per the recommendations of the 'South Armagh Policing Review'?
As I have said, it is not for me to opine on the right decisions for the PSNI to live within budget. That is entirely a matter for the Chief Constable. He has operational independence on that matter but is also operationally accountable to the Policing Board for those decisions. However, with respect to the ICO fine,…
I thank the Minister for her response. Does she agree that it would be entirely wrong that police stations, such as the one in Limavady, would be closed as a sacrificial lamb to help to pay the £750,000 Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) fine and other subsequent costs following last year's data breach?
The management of the PSNI estate is an operational matter for the Chief Constable, who is accountable to the Northern Ireland Policing Board. I am committed to respecting the operational independence of the Chief Constable and the role of the Policing Board. As I have not had any discussions on the matter, it is…
I welcome the motion and the focus on the need for tougher action against those who are convicted of animal cruelty. I suspect that most parties support the motion, at least in principle. After all, we are all animal lovers. It should not be a surprise that the SDLP supports the motion. In particular, we support the…
I thank the Members who tabled the motion. I support the motion, which seeks to address the scourge of animal cruelty in Northern Ireland. As a society that often describes itself as animal-loving, we should hold ourselves to the highest account in how we treat the most defenceless amongst us, which includes animals,…
I thank the Members who tabled the motion, as it is based on an issue that is very important to me and that my party takes very seriously. The establishment of an animal welfare offenders register has long been a key goal of the Assembly's all-party group on animal welfare, which I am pleased to have chaired for a…
I welcome the opportunity to speak on the motion. It reflects our collective commitment to safeguard the welfare of animals. Under the Welfare of Animals Act 2011, we have a crucial framework that provides the powers to protect farmed animals, non-farmed animals and wildlife. The Act is a vital tool in ensuring that…
I beg to move Cruelty against animals is a despicable crime. We are, proudly, a nation of animal lovers. Like many in the Chamber, I was brought up in a home with pets who were very much part of our family. The idea that anyone could be so cruel as to harm an animal that looks to us for food, care and shelter is…
I thank the Member for giving way so that I can ask her to clarify. Was there agreement or disagreement on the Committee to widen the proxy voting arrangements to have a system similar to the one that was in place during COVID? Does the Member's party agree with that?
Go raibh maith agat, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. To remove any element of doubt for some Members, I will say that what we are debating here is a new Standing Order on proxy voting for parental leave. The clue is in the title for people who are a bit confused as to what we are discussing here today. It is my…
I thank Mr Carroll for giving way. As a Committee, we considered that and took significant legal advice. Our main point, as I mentioned in my speech, was that we wanted to maintain and uphold the importance of our vote in this place. We are not in COVID times now, so the decision was taken to limit proxy voting to…
I certainly do not oppose the changes, but I fear that this may be a missed opportunity. The announcement of changes to Standing Orders for paternity or bereavement issues is welcome, but, as the Chair said, there are gaps around child appointments, child sickness and other areas, which, I fear, is a missed…
I welcome the amendments to Standing Orders. To me, they seem to be a necessary acknowledgement that MLAs are people too and require time off for bereavement and other sensitive reasons. There is one issue on which I would like clarity from the Committee Chairperson. I received correspondence last month from the…
I thank the Member very much for her comments so far. I note that Mr McGrath said that we are catching up to the "last century". It is important that we, as the Committee on Procedures, take a family-friendly approach, because, if we do not, we will lose the good people who are in the Chamber today.
I welcome the changes to our Standing Orders, as someone who had to return to work when my baby was just five weeks old after the return of the House in February. I was unable to legally drive myself to the Building: I was still healing, physically and mentally, from major surgery and also had the day-to-day fog that…
I will only say a few words. I was going to start by saying that moves like this welcome us into the 21st century. Then I checked, and the legislation for the rest of society was passed in 1999, so we are catching up with the last century by implementing the changes. All I will say is this: great, wonderful, but can…
The Democratic Unionist Party welcomes the creation of the new Standing Order, which will provide Assembly Members with a formal entitlement to a vote by proxy when they are on parental leave, have fostering responsibilities or tragically suffer from complications in pregnancy, including miscarriage, stillbirth or…
Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. As Chairperson of the Committee on Procedures, I am delighted to bring to the Assembly during Parenting Week a new procedure to allow for proxy voting for MLAs in certain circumstances. As all of us know, an MLA's role has a number of facets. We have our parliamentarian role…
Minister, you have acknowledged postnatal care and postnatal mental health, however there is not much detail on that. Currently, that is provided via a GP, a health visitor or MDTs in GP surgeries, but it is not consistent across the board. Some people have good experiences, and some people do not. Minister, I also…
Minister, it is concerning that there is no plan to rectify the fact that there are 1,600 nursing and midwifery vacancies. It is also concerning to hear nothing about the reversal of closed maternity units. I have heard reports of women giving birth at the sides of roads recently, and that is really dangerous and…
My wife and I have been blessed with the safe arrival of three healthy boys over the past four years through Antrim Area Hospital's maternity unit. On each visit, the dedicated midwives have been run off their feet due to its being seriously understaffed. The closure of the maternity unit at Causeway Hospital in July…