Today's Business

Thursday 08 October 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
TimeVenueCommittee
Thursday 08 October 2026
10:00 AMRoom 29Committee for Communities

Public from 10:00 AM (8 mins)
Committee Business

Public from 10:08 AM (47 mins)
Finance update: Oral briefing from the Department for Communities
• Mr John Greer, DfC
• Ms Olga Beagon, DfC
• Ms Clodagh Valentine, DfC

Closed from 10:55 AM (36 mins)
Charities (Amendment) Bill: Examiner of Statutory Rules advice on delegated powers
• Miss Angela Kelly, Examiner of Statutory Rules
• Ms Roisin Mallon, Legal Advisor

Closed from 11:31 AM (26 mins)
Charities (Amendment) Bill: Legal advice on Convention Rights Memorandum
• Ms Caroline Byers, Legal Advisor

Public from 11:57 AM (23 mins)
Charities (Amendment) Bill: Oral evidence from the Department for Communities
• Mr Raymond Caldwell, DfC
• Ms Colleen Bell, DfC
• Mr Martin Ireland, DfC
• Mr Gerard Reilly, DfC

Public from 12:20 PM (10 mins)
SL1 - The Social Fund (Child Funeral Fund) (No. 2) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026
• Ms Hayley Ward, DfC
• Mr John McGrath, DfC
• Mr Christopher Cowan, DfC

Public from 12:30 PM (10 mins)
SL1 The Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026
• Ms Aoibhinn Corrigan, DfC
• Cathal Shields, DfC
• Seamus Breen, DfC

Public from 12:40 PM (5 mins)
SL1 The Social Security (Income and Capital Disregards) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026

Public from 12:45 PM (10 mins)
Committee Business

Closed from 12:55 PM (30 mins)
Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill: Oral briefing from Bill Clerk
• Ms Stephanie Mallon, Assembly Clerk
10:11 AMRoom 21Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

Public from 10:11 AM (16 mins)
Committee Business

Public from 10:27 AM (25 mins)
Briefing from The Department of Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs - Budget Update
• Mr Roger Downey, DAERA
• Mr Declan McCarney, DAERA
• Ms Nuala Hennessy, DAERA
• Ms Gemma Robinson, DAERA

Public from 10:52 AM (30 mins)
Areas with Natural Constraints (Payments) Bill - Evidence session with Young Farmers' Clubs Of Ulster
• Ms Christina Fleming, Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster
• Mr Harry Chambers, Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster
• Mr Daniel Sloane, Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster
• Ms Roberta Simmons, Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster

Suspension from 11:22 AM (10 mins)

Public from 11:32 AM (33 mins)
Hunting with Dogs Bill - FACE Ireland (European Federation for Hunting and Conservation) and NARGC (National Association of Regional Game Councils)
• Mr Dan Curley, FACE Ireland
• Mr Sean Woods, FACE Ireland
• Mr Austin Fitzpatrick, FACE Ireland
• Mr William Montgomery, FACE Ireland
• Mr Barty Murphy, FACE Ireland

Public from 12:05 PM (45 mins)
Hunting with Dogs Bill - Evidence session with Ulster Farmers' Union
• Mr Glenn Cuddy, Ulster Farmers' Union
• Mr Daniel Toft, Ulster Farmers' Union

Public from 12:50 PM (30 mins)
SL1 - The Hemp (Third Country Import) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026

SL1 - Waste Fees and Charges (Amendment No.2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026

Public from 1:20 PM (10 mins)
Committee Business
2:00 PMRoom 29Committee for Health

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

Public from 2:05 PM (30 mins)
Legislative Consent Motion - UK Health Bill
• Mr Vincent Ramirez, DoH
• Mr Eddie Murphy, DoH

Public from 2:35 PM (60 mins)
Departmental Briefing - Budget
• Mr David Keenan, DoH
• Ms Danielle Mallen, DoH
• Mr Paul Montgomery, DoH
• Ms Catherine Fitzpatrick, DoH

Public from 3:35 PM (5 mins)
Departmental Written Briefing - Mental Health Strategy

Public from 3:40 PM (5 mins)
End of Session Report

Public from 3:45 PM (15 mins)
Committee Business

Closed from 4:00 PM (20 mins)
Adult Protection Bill

Closed from 4:20 PM (5 mins)
Committee Business
2:00 PMRoom 30Committee for Justice

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

Public from 2:05 PM (55 mins)
Criminal Justice (Sentencing etc) Bill - NIACRO oral evidence
• Ms Fiona Greene, Niacro

Public from 3:00 PM (90 mins)
Criminal Justice (Sentencing etc) Bill - Department of Justice oral evidence
• Mr Andrew Dawson, DoJ
• Mr Michael McAvoy, DoJ
• Ms Angela Bell, DoJ
• Mr Alan Weir, DoJ
• Mr Christopher McElwee, DoJ

Public from 4:30 PM (15 mins)
Criminal Justice (Sentencing etc) Bill - Written papers

Victims and Witnesses of Crime Bill - Written papers

SR 2026/161 The Coronavirus Act 2020 (Extension of Provisions Relating to Live Links for Courts and Tribunals) (No.2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2026

Northern Ireland Judicial Pension Scheme legislation - Consultation on amendments to Pension Scheme legislation - Department of Justice written paper

DNA and fingerprint retention framework for Northern Ireland - Consultation on the review mechanism - Department of Justice written paper

Domestic Abuse and Civil Proceedings Act (Northern Ireland) 2021 - Annual Domestic Abuse Training Statement under Section 32 – Department of Justice written paper

Public from 4:45 PM (15 mins)
Committee Business
2:00 PMSenate ChamberPublic Accounts Committee

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

Public from 2:10 PM (140 mins)
Inquiry into A Strategic Review of the Planning Appeals Commission - Evidence Session with the Planning Appeals Commission
• Ms Andrea Kells, Planning Appeals Commission
• Ms Pamela O'Donnell, Planning Appeals Commission
• Ms Dorinnia Carville, Northern Ireland Audit Office
• Mr Stuart Stevenson, DoF

Closed from 4:30 PM (15 mins)
Inquiry into A Strategic Review of the Planning Appeals Commission - Preparation Session
• Ms Dorinnia Carville, Northern Ireland Audit Office
• Mr Tomas Wilkinson, Northern Ireland Audit Office
• Mr Conor McGeown, Northern Ireland Audit Office
• Ms Claire Turner, Northern Ireland Audit Office

Closed from 4:45 PM (15 mins)
Committee Business

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