Motion

Observer Status in the European Parliament

Motion TitleObserver Status in the European Parliament

Motion TextThat this Assembly recalls that the majority of people here voted to remain in the European Union; acknowledges that our long-term future would be best served by rejoining the European Union; recognises the democratic deficit as a result of Brexit; supports the request made by Irish MEPs in a recent letter to the President of the European Parliament for observer status in the European Parliament for our locally elected political representatives; and agrees to write to the European Parliament to express this Assembly’s position with regards to the observer status.

Motion CategoryPrivate Members' Motion

Date Tabled to Business Office25/11/2025

Date Selected By Committee25/11/2025

Date of Plenary Debate08/12/2025

View Official Report

Tabled By

Member Name	Tabled As
Mr Declan Kearney	MLA - South Antrim
Mrs Ciara Ferguson	MLA - Foyle
Mr Pádraig Delargy	MLA - Foyle
Mrs Sinéad Ennis	MLA - South Down

Bills

Outcome/Voting

83 Members voted, of which 50 voted AYE [60.2%]

34 Nationalists voted, of which 34 voted AYE [100%]

33 Unionists voted, of which 0 voted AYE [0%]

16 Others voted, of which 16 voted AYE [100%]

The Motion Was Negatived, Cross-Community Lobby Division

MLA Name	Designation	Voted
Dr Steve Aiken OBE	Unionist	NO
Mr Andy Allen MBE	Unionist	NO
Dr Caoimhe Archibald	Nationalist	AYE
Ms Diana Armstrong	Unionist	NO
Ms Kellie Armstrong	Other	AYE
Mr Danny Baker	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Doug Beattie MC	Unionist	NO
Mr John Blair	Other	AYE
Mr Cathal Boylan	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Maurice Bradley	Unionist	NO
Ms Paula Bradshaw	Other	AYE
Mr Phillip Brett	Unionist	NO
Miss Nicola Brogan	Nationalist	AYE
Mr David Brooks	Unionist	NO
Ms Cheryl Brownlee	Unionist	NO
Mr Keith Buchanan	Unionist	NO
Mr Tom Buchanan	Unionist	NO
Mr Jonathan Buckley	Unionist	NO
Ms Joanne Bunting	Unionist	NO
Mr Jon Burrows	Unionist	NO
Mr Robbie Butler	Unionist	NO
Mr Alan Chambers	Unionist	NO
Mr Trevor Clarke	Unionist	NO
Mr Pádraig Delargy	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Stewart Dickson	Other	AYE
Mrs Linda Dillon	Nationalist	AYE
Mrs Diane Dodds	Unionist	NO
Miss Jemma Dolan	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Danny Donnelly	Other	AYE
Mr Stephen Dunne	Unionist	NO
Mr Mark Durkan	Nationalist	AYE
Ms Connie Egan	Other	AYE
Mrs Sinéad Ennis	Nationalist	AYE
Mrs Deborah Erskine	Unionist	NO
Mrs Ciara Ferguson	Nationalist	AYE
Ms Aoife Finnegan	Nationalist	AYE
Miss Órlaithí Flynn	Nationalist	AYE
Ms Diane Forsythe	Unionist	NO
Mr Paul Frew	Unionist	NO
Mr Timothy Gaston	Unionist	NO
Mr Colm Gildernew	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Paul Givan	Unionist	NO
Mrs Michelle Guy	Other	AYE
Miss Deirdre Hargey	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Harry Harvey	Unionist	NO
Mr David Honeyford	Other	AYE
Ms Cara Hunter	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Declan Kearney	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Gerry Kelly	Nationalist	AYE
Ms Liz Kimmins	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Brian Kingston	Unionist	NO
Mrs Emma Little-Pengelly	Unionist	NO
Mr Gordon Lyons	Unionist	NO
Mr Declan McAleer	Nationalist	AYE
Miss Nuala McAllister	Other	AYE
Mr Daniel McCrossan	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Patsy McGlone	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Colin McGrath	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Philip McGuigan	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Maolíosa McHugh	Nationalist	AYE
Miss Michelle McIlveen	Unionist	NO
Ms Sinéad McLaughlin	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Andrew McMurray	Other	AYE
Mr Justin McNulty	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Peter McReynolds	Other	AYE
Mr Peter Martin	Unionist	NO
Mrs Cathy Mason	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Nick Mathison	Other	AYE
Mr Andrew Muir	Other	AYE
Ms Sian Mulholland	Other	AYE
Miss Áine Murphy	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Mike Nesbitt	Unionist	NO
Ms Kate Nicholl	Other	AYE
Mr John O'Dowd	Nationalist	AYE
Ms Michelle O'Neill	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Matthew O'Toole	Nationalist	AYE
Ms Aisling Reilly	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Alan Robinson	Unionist	NO
Mr Pat Sheehan	Nationalist	AYE
Ms Emma Sheerin	Nationalist	AYE
Mr John Stewart	Unionist	NO
Mr Eóin Tennyson	Other	AYE
Mr Gareth Wilson	Unionist	NO

Amendments

Selected Amendments

Number	Tabled Date	Amendment Text
1	04/12/2025	At end insert: ‘and its support for the establishment of a European Commission office in Belfast.'

Other Amendments Tabled

Tabled Date	Amendment Text
04/12/2025	Leave out all after ‘the majority of people’ and insert: ‘in the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union; acknowledges that this was a national referendum in which people were asked if the United Kingdom should leave the European Union; recognises that the failure to honour that democratic decision has resulted in a democratic deficit under the Windsor Framework, with Northern Ireland subject to laws we do not make, cannot change and overseen by a foreign court; believes that more than nine years on, it is time to honour the result of the 2016 referendum; and calls on the UK Government to restore the integrity of the United Kingdom by scrapping the Windsor Framework.’

Tabled Date

Amendment Text

04/12/2025

Leave out all after ‘the majority of people’ and insert: ‘in the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union; acknowledges that this was a national referendum in which people were asked if the United Kingdom should leave the European Union; recognises that the failure to honour that democratic decision has resulted in a democratic deficit under the Windsor Framework, with Northern Ireland subject to laws we do not make, cannot change and overseen by a foreign court; believes that more than nine years on, it is time to honour the result of the 2016 referendum; and calls on the UK Government to restore the integrity of the United Kingdom by scrapping the Windsor Framework.’

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