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.
The issue has been discussed at length by the current and the previous Health Committee. Indeed, I recall many lengthy discussions in the previous mandate during which, although the broader good intent of the Act was noted, some genuine warnings and concerns were raised about what would happen if the necessary steps…
On behalf of the Alliance Party, I support the Bill at its Second Stage. I thank the Minister for bringing it forward and for the previous engagement of his officials with us at the Health Committee, which was very helpful. Like Members who have spoken previously, I share the disappointment that the Bill has been…
The Member who spoke previously stated that all the parties in the Assembly supported the original Bill. I reiterate our support for it; we do not resile from it. I say to the Minister that we are disappointed that we are having to defer the provisions of the Act. There are genuine questions to answer about how much…
I thank the Member for his intervention. He gets a free pass on his birthday. That is not a problem that has just arrived today. We have known about it from the very beginning of the conversations about introducing free car parking. Somebody in the Department did not suddenly scratch their head last week or the week…
I thank the Member for giving way. I declare an interest: my daughter is a nurse in Lagan Valley Hospital. We have had multiple issues on the Lagan Valley site for a number of years now. In fact, a multi-agency group has been trying to work out what to do about the overspill of parking in the area, which is causing…
We are here today to discuss the Second Stage of the Bill, and I have to say that that is a shame. It is a shame that we are discussing the delaying of the implementation of the 2022 Act, and it is a shame that, on a day on which we in this place have been focusing on how to break the cycle of poverty, we are debating…
Will the Minister explain to the House why he has chosen to put the fixed commencement date of May 2026 rather than having the quite regularly deployed clause stipulating commencement at the Department's discretion? Why is he not amending the Act to impose such a commencement clause?
I beg to move Thanks for the opportunity to open the debate on the Hospital Parking Charges Bill. First, I thank the Health Committee, which ceded Committee Stage so that the Bill can progress in a shorter time frame. As Members will recall, the Hospital Parking Charges Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, which was passed by…
I thank Members for their contributions, and I thank the Chair of the Health Committee for her comments about the discussion at the Committee. I can assure Members that every effort was made to explore the expedition of the traffic management contract. Given the ongoing work between my officials and the health and…
I am opposed to the Bill. I will go into detail on that later, but logic follows that, if you oppose the Bill, you should oppose the plan to fast-track it. If the accelerated passage motion is passed, Members will have until half past nine tomorrow morning to table an amendment, which does not allow time for anybody…
I will make a few brief remarks about the request for accelerated passage. I am not happy that we are having to use it. I worry when a Department gets a procurement process so wrong that it is left open to legal challenge and that that delays the roll-out of legislation that the House unanimously voted for. I remind…
I beg to move I am grateful for the opportunity to address Members on this critical issue. I seek agreement today to progress, by accelerated passage, the Hospital Parking Charges Bill, which will postpone the ban on charging money for parking vehicles in hospital car parks, as contained in the Hospital Parking…
I sincerely thank the Minister, who has been here all day, since early this morning. We are really grateful that he is here and has been listening throughout. I also thank all the anti-poverty campaigners who have joined us here today in Stormont and online to listen to our debates as we talk about ending the pain of…
Our amendment proposes that, in the first place, the Minister bring forward regulations to put in place much longer notice to quit periods. That, we believe, would make a real and tangible difference to tenants as a first phase in enhancing their rights and protections. As my colleague Maurice Bradley said, there is a…
Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I start by declaring no interest. I am not a landlord. I would like to make that very clear. I thank those who contributed, and I welcome the opportunity to speak to the motion. There is much in it that I support and much that I am taking forward already to deal with some of the issues. I…
There are too many landlords in the Assembly. It is no wonder that so many people can be evicted on a whim. The housing crisis is multifaceted, but, ultimately, it boils down to the refusal of the Executive parties to do anything about it. The reason why they refuse to do anything about it is that they have absolutely…
I thank the Opposition for tabling the motion, which we support, and for the opportunity to have this important debate. Everyone has a right to feel secure in their home, to feel settled in their local community and to enjoy stability so that they can look forward to the future and plan with confidence. Instead,…
I support the motion but, unfortunately, not the amendment because I feel that it does not actually address the fundamental point, which is to ban no-fault evictions. That is not to say that extending notice to quit periods should not be looked at and, indeed, increased. This is a question of balance between what is…
I have three minutes, so I will try to fly through this as quickly as possible. As the Alliance Party's housing spokesperson, I can say that we will support the Opposition motion but not the amendment. The reason why we are not supporting the amendment is that the Department for Communities has published on its…
Across all our communities, people, families, homeowners and renters alike should be able to access decent, affordable and suitable homes, which meet their needs and are situated in the community in which they wish to live, whether urban or rural. Prior to the collapse of the Executive, Sinn Féin had worked to protect…
The private rented sector accounts for 13% of households in Northern Ireland, and many of them are vulnerable households. Indeed, we have previously heard evidence that almost half are in receipt of housing benefit or the housing element of universal credit. In recent years, the private rented sector has grown…