Business Diary

Monday 02 February 2026 - Friday 06 February 2026

* Committee Business relates to non-substantive items of business such as the consideration of minutes of the previous meeting and consideration of correspondence or matters arising from previous meetings
TimeVenuePlenary/Committee
Monday 02 February 2026
9:45 AMSenate ChamberCommittee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

Public from 9:45 AM (3 mins)
Committee Business

Public from 9:48 AM (25 mins)
Briefing from Seafresh N.I Ltd - Potential impact to local periwinkle fishing
• Mr Paul Leeman, Seafresh N.I Ltd
• Mr Brian Chambers, Anglo-North Irish Fish Producers Organisation

Public from 10:13 AM (25 mins)
Briefing from Northern Ireland Marine Task Force - Impact to the local marine environment from periwinkle fishing 
• Mr Robert Walsh, Northern Ireland Marine Task Force

Public from 10:38 AM (33 mins)
Briefing from The Department of Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs - SR 2026/1 The Shellfish Gathering (Conservation) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026
• Mr Gareth Dillon, DAERA
• Ms Fiona Taylor, DAERA
• Mr Patrick Smith, DAERA
• Dr Carrie McMinn, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI)

Public from 11:11 AM (1 mins)
Decision to rescind the previous Committee decision on SR 2026/1The Shellfish Gathering (Conservation) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026

Public from 11:12 AM (1 mins)
Committee Business
12:00 PMAssembly ChamberPlenary Session
Tuesday 03 February 2026
9:32 AMRoom 21Assembly and Executive Review Committee

Closed from 9:32 AM (2 mins)
Committee Business

Closed from 9:34 AM (47 mins)
Designing a Civic/Citizen Engagement exercise - follow-up briefing by Assembly Engagement Office
• Mrs Caroline Moore, Outreach Manager
• Claire Maguire, Outreach Manager

Public from 10:21 AM (1 mins)
Committee Business

Public from 10:22 AM (18 mins)
Review into Assembly and Executive Reform - RaISe briefing on public opinion data on reform options
• Mr Ray McCaffrey, Research Officer

Public from 10:40 AM (1 mins)
Committee Business
10:30 AMAssembly ChamberPlenary Session
1:06 PMRoom 106Business Committee

Closed from 1:06 PM (6 mins)
Committee Business
Wednesday 04 February 2026
VISITSONICommittee for the Economy
10:00 AMRoom 29Committee for Infrastructure

Public from 10:00 AM (30 mins)
Committee Business

Public from 10:30 AM (45 mins)
Graduated Driving Licences - Department for Infrastructure - Oral Evidence
• Dr Chris Hughes, DfI
• Mr Adrian Borland, DfI
• Mr Pat Delaney, Driver and Vehicle Agency

Public from 11:15 AM (30 mins)
Assembly Research and Information Service – Planning Decisions - Oral Briefing
• Ms Suzie Cave, Research Officer

Public from 11:45 AM (30 mins)
SL1 - The Quay Pass, Enniskillen (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2026

SL1 - The Drumnagoon Road, Portadown (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2026

SL1 - The Malone Road, Belfast (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2026

SL1 - The Schools (Part-Time 20mph Speed Limit) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2026

Public from 12:15 PM (15 mins)
Committee Business
10:00 AMRoom 30Committee for the Economy

Public from 10:00 AM (5 mins)
Committee Business

Public from 10:05 AM (55 mins)
Departmental oral and written evidence – clustering strategy
• Alan Ramsey, DfE
• Martin Robinson, InterTradeIreland
• Rachael Corridan, InterTradeIreland
• Linda Jamison, Invest NI

Public from 11:00 AM (60 mins)
Departmental oral and written evidence – feedback on the consultation on the grid connections policy framework
• Catriona Harkin, DfE
• Linzi Hyvart, DfE

Public from 12:00 PM (15 mins)
Disposal of Documents Order 1925 – Further Education Sector Retention and Disposal Schedule

SL1 - Renewables Obligation (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2026

Committee Business
1:00 PMSenate ChamberCommittee for Finance

Public from 1:00 PM (30 mins)
Committee Business

Public from 1:30 PM (40 mins)
Northern Ireland Fiscal Council Bill - Oral Briefing with NI Audit Office & Committee Deliberations
• Ms Dorinnia Carville, Northern Ireland Audit Office
• Mr Rodney Allen, Northern Ireland Audit Office

Closed from 2:10 PM (30 mins)
Northern Ireland Fiscal Council Bill - Options Paper

Public from 2:40 PM (10 mins)
Administrative and Financial Provisions Bill - Committee deliberations

Public from 2:50 PM (40 mins)
Internal Audit Overview - Oral briefing from Departmental officials
• Ms Tracey McCavigan, DoF
• Ms Lacey Walker, DoF
• Mr Alan McKee, DoF

Public from 3:30 PM (60 mins)
Rating - Reval 2026 – Oral briefing from Hospitality Ulster, Northern Ireland Hotels Federation (NIHF), and Retail NI
• Colin Neill, Hospitality Ulster
• Ms Janice Gault, Northern Ireland Hotels Federation
• Glyn Roberts, Retail NI

Public from 4:30 PM (10 mins)
Committee Business
2:00 PMRoom 29Committee for Education

Public from 2:00 PM (15 mins)
Committee Business

Public from 2:15 PM (60 mins)
Overview of SEN Delivery Plan Enabling Actions - Oral Briefing by DE Officials
• Mrs Janis Scallon, DE
• Ms Lorraine Brown, DE
• Ms Karen Campbell, DE
• Ms Sharon Allen, DE
• Ms Emma Morgan, DE

Closed from 3:15 PM (30 mins)
General Teaching Council Bill - Oral Briefing by the Examiner of Statutory Rules
• Ms Catriona Doherty, Legal Advisor

Public from 3:45 PM (40 mins)
General Teaching Council Bill - Oral Briefing by RaISe
• Gillian Kane, Research Officer
• Mr Michael Scholes, Research Officer

Public from 4:25 PM (15 mins)
Committee Business
2:00 PMRoom 30Committee for The Executive Office

Public from 2:00 PM (10 mins)
Committee Business

Public from 2:10 PM (60 mins)
Oral Briefing: First and deputy First Minister
• Ms Michelle O'Neill, First Minister
• Mrs Emma Little-Pengelly, deputy First Minister

Public from 3:10 PM (60 mins)
Oral Briefing: Draft Budget and December Monitoring - Departmental Officials
• Mr Ronan Murtagh, TEO
• Ms Paula Shearer, TEO

Public from 4:10 PM (15 mins)
Committee Business
Thursday 05 February 2026
VISITShankill Shared Women's CentreCommittee for Health
10:00 AMRoom 21Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

Public from 10:00 AM (5 mins)
Committee Business

Public from 10:05 AM (40 mins)
Departmental Oral Evidence Session - Progress of Lough Neagh Action Plan
• Mr Craig Hartin, DAERA
• Dr Gareth Greer, Northern Ireland Environment Agency
• Mr Patrick Murphy, DAERA

Public from 10:45 AM (40 mins)
Departmental Oral Evidence Session - Statutory Instrument: Sea Fisheries (Amendment) Regulations 2026
• Ms Fiona Taylor, DAERA
• Mr Roy Griffin, DAERA

Public from 11:25 AM (60 mins)
Dilapidation Bill - Committee Deliberations
• Mr Simon Webb, DAERA
• Mr Mark Allison, DAERA

Public from 12:25 PM (30 mins)
Research and Information Service (RaISe) Briefing - Environmental Principles within Policy Making
• Mr Mark Allen, Research Officer
• Ms Suzie Cave, Research Officer

Public from 12:55 PM (5 mins)
Committee Business
10:00 AMRoom 29Committee for Communities

Public from 10:00 AM (30 mins)
Committee Business

Public from 10:30 AM (30 mins)
Sign Language Bill: Agreement of Committee report

Public from 11:00 AM (15 mins)
Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill LCM: Consideration of Committee report

Public from 11:15 AM (45 mins)
Departmental Disability Action Plan 2025-2030: Oral evidence from the Department for Communities
• Mr Carl Savage, DfC
• Ms Emma Neill, DfC

Public from 12:00 PM (15 mins)
Committee Business

Closed from 12:15 PM (30 mins)
Assembly Legal Services - Procedural Advice
1:30 PMRoom 30Committee for Justice

Closed from 1:30 PM (30 mins)
Committee Business

Justice Bill - Committee deliberations

Public from 2:00 PM (5 mins)
Committee Business

Public from 2:05 PM (85 mins)
Ministerial Briefing - Minister of Justice oral evidence
• Mrs Naomi Long, Minister of Justice

Public from 3:30 PM (45 mins)
Justice Bill - Committee deliberations – Department of Justice oral evidence
• Ms Lisa Boal, DoJ
• Mr Andrew Laverty, DoJ

Public from 4:15 PM (5 mins)
Justice Bill - Written papers

Sentencing Bill - Pre-legislative scrutiny - Correspondence

SL1 The Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order (Codes of Practice) Order 2025 - Department of Justice written paper

Public from 4:20 PM (10 mins)
Committee Business
2:00 PMMulti-function Meeting Room, Shankill Shared Women's Centre, 3 Mayo Link, BELFASTCommittee for Health

Public from 2:00 PM (5 mins)
Committee Business

Public from 2:05 PM (15 mins)
Oral briefing - Shankill Shared Women's Centre
• Dr Betty Carlisle, Shankill Shared Women's Centre

Public from 2:20 PM (70 mins)
Departmental Briefing - Permanent Secretary - Community Care and Patient Flow in hospital
• Mr Mike Farrar, DoH
• Ms Tracey McCaig, DoH
• Mr Peter Toogood, DoH

Public from 3:30 PM (70 mins)
Belfast Health and Social Care Trust - Trust Overview
• Ms Jennifer Welsh, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust
• Mr Alastair Campbell, DoH
• Ms Paula Cahalan, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust
• Ms Kerrylee Weatherall, Children's Social Care Services Reform Programme

Public from 4:40 PM (5 mins)
Departmental Written Briefing - Violence and Aggression towards staff

Public from 4:45 PM (5 mins)
Departmental Written Briefing - Justice Bill Part 2 (Children)

Public from 4:50 PM (5 mins)
SL1 - The Health and Social Care Pension Scheme (Member Contributions) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026

Public from 4:55 PM (5 mins)
Committee Business
2:00 PMSenate ChamberPublic Accounts Committee

Public from 2:00 PM (10 mins)
Committee Business
• Ms Dorinnia Carville, Northern Ireland Audit Office

Closed from 2:10 PM (50 mins)
Inquiry into Homelessness in Northern Ireland - Initial Consideration of draft report
• Ms Dorinnia Carville, Northern Ireland Audit Office
• Mr Tomas Wilkinson, Northern Ireland Audit Office
• Mr Barry Mitchell, Northern Ireland Audit Office
• Ms Claire Turner, Northern Ireland Audit Office

Closed from 3:00 PM (15 mins)
Committee Business
• Ms Dorinnia Carville, Northern Ireland Audit Office

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