Motion

Establishing an EU Office in Belfast

Motion TitleEstablishing an EU Office in Belfast

Motion TextThat this Assembly notes the advantages dual market access affords to our businesses; further notes that the worst impacts of Brexit disruption have been mitigated by the Windsor Framework agreement; encourages the British Government and the European Union to work together to address existing challenges and technical issues cited by businesses navigating the new trade, investment and regulatory arrangements; and calls on the British Government and the European Union to finally agree to the establishment of an EU office in Belfast that would provide a channel for businesses to fully benefit from the advantages of dual market access.

Motion CategoryPrivate Members' Motion

Date Tabled to Business Office25/11/2025

Date Selected By Committee06/01/2026

Date of Plenary Debate12/01/2026

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

76 Members voted

47 Members voted AYE

29 Members voted NO

1 Members voted in both lobbies and are not included in these results

The Motion Was Carried, Simple Majority Lobby Division

MLA Name	Designation	Voted
Dr Steve Aiken OBE	Unionist	NO
Ms Diana Armstrong	Unionist	NO
Ms Kellie Armstrong	Other	AYE
Mr Danny Baker	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Doug Beattie MC	Unionist	NO
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 Robbie Butler	Unionist	NO
Mr Gerry Carroll	Other	ABSTAINED
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 Peter McReynolds	Other	AYE
Mr Peter Martin	Unionist	NO
Mrs Cathy Mason	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Nick Mathison	Other	AYE
Mr Andrew Muir	Other	AYE
Miss Áine Murphy	Nationalist	AYE
Ms Carál Ní Chuilín	Nationalist	AYE
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 Eóin Tennyson	Other	AYE
Mr Gareth Wilson	Unionist	NO

Amendments

Selected Amendments

No amendments tabled were selected for this motion.

Other Amendments Tabled

Tabled Date	Amendment Text
08/01/2026	Leave out all after ‘That this Assembly notes’ and insert: ‘that the Windsor Framework has created divergence and disruption whilst increasing costs and bureaucracy; further notes that the Windsor Framework has created confusion for the consumer, damaged supply chains and undermined business confidence due to its complexity; urges the business, consumer and agriculture sectors to catalogue the disruptions in trade so that the insidious impacts of the Windsor Framework are mitigated as best as possible; and calls on the UK Government to make Windsor Framework related guidance all accessible in a single “all-in-one service” as recommended in the Independent Review of the Windsor Framework, in order to help businesses manage the regulatory challenges presented by the Windsor Framework, including in their dealings with HMRC.’

Tabled Date

Amendment Text

08/01/2026

Leave out all after ‘That this Assembly notes’ and insert: ‘that the Windsor Framework has created divergence and disruption whilst increasing costs and bureaucracy; further notes that the Windsor Framework has created confusion for the consumer, damaged supply chains and undermined business confidence due to its complexity; urges the business, consumer and agriculture sectors to catalogue the disruptions in trade so that the insidious impacts of the Windsor Framework are mitigated as best as possible; and calls on the UK Government to make Windsor Framework related guidance all accessible in a single “all-in-one service” as recommended in the Independent Review of the Windsor Framework, in order to help businesses manage the regulatory challenges presented by the Windsor Framework, including in their dealings with HMRC.’

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Motion

Establishing an EU Office in Belfast

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