Motion

Strengthening Northern Ireland’s Defence Industries

Motion TitleStrengthening Northern Ireland’s Defence Industries

Motion TextThat this Assembly is committed to realising the untapped potential of the aerospace, defence, security, and space sectors in Northern Ireland; notes that these growing industries employed 9,000 people across Northern Ireland in 2022 and provided over 500 apprenticeships; further notes that technology produced in Northern Ireland has been a significant pillar of the UK’s support for the defence of Ukraine; regrets the current low levels of Ministry of Defence spending in Northern Ireland, including in respect of small and medium sized enterprises; believes a concerted effort to incorporate Northern Ireland into the UK defence network will generate significant and lasting economic opportunities, as well as promote Northern Ireland as a global leader in innovative aerospace and security technology; welcomes commitments to strengthening Northern Ireland’s defence industries in the UK Government’s Safeguarding the Union Command Paper; calls on the Minister for the Economy to develop an ambitious programme to showcase opportunities for investment in local defence industries and shipbuilding; and further calls on the Minister to work with industry, the Ministry of Defence and Executive colleagues to ensure our workforce has the skills required to scale up the defence and security industries in Northern Ireland.

Motion CategoryPrivate Members' Motion

Date Tabled to Business Office07/05/2024

Date Selected By Committee07/05/2024

Date of Plenary Debate20/05/2024

View Official Report

Tabled By

Member Name	Tabled As
Mr Phillip Brett	MLA - North Belfast
Mr Gary Middleton	MLA - Foyle
Mr Jonathan Buckley	MLA - Upper Bann

Bills

Outcome/Voting

67 Members voted

41 Members voted AYE

26 Members voted NO

The Motion Was Carried, Simple Majority Lobby Division

MLA Name	Designation	Voted
Mr Jim Allister KC	Unionist	AYE
Dr Caoimhe Archibald	Nationalist	NO
Mr Doug Beattie MC	Unionist	AYE
Ms Paula Bradshaw	Other	AYE
Miss Nicola Brogan	Nationalist	NO
Mr David Brooks	Unionist	AYE
Ms Cheryl Brownlee	Unionist	AYE
Mr Keith Buchanan	Unionist	AYE
Mr Tom Buchanan	Unionist	AYE
Mr Jonathan Buckley	Unionist	AYE
Ms Joanne Bunting	Unionist	AYE
Mr Robbie Butler	Unionist	AYE
Mr Gerry Carroll	Other	NO
Mr Alan Chambers	Unionist	AYE
Mr Trevor Clarke	Unionist	AYE
Mr Pádraig Delargy	Nationalist	NO
Mr Stewart Dickson	Other	AYE
Mrs Diane Dodds	Unionist	AYE
Mr Danny Donnelly	Other	AYE
Mr Stephen Dunne	Unionist	AYE
Mr Mark Durkan	Nationalist	NO
Mr Alex Easton	Unionist	AYE
Ms Sorcha Eastwood	Other	AYE
Ms Connie Egan	Other	AYE
Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard	Unionist	AYE
Mrs Sinéad Ennis	Nationalist	NO
Mrs Deborah Erskine	Unionist	AYE
Miss Órlaithí Flynn	Nationalist	NO
Ms Diane Forsythe	Unionist	AYE
Mr Colm Gildernew	Nationalist	NO
Miss Deirdre Hargey	Nationalist	NO
Mr Harry Harvey	Unionist	AYE
Mr David Honeyford	Other	AYE
Ms Cara Hunter	Nationalist	NO
Mr Declan Kearney	Nationalist	NO
Ms Liz Kimmins	Nationalist	NO
Mr Brian Kingston	Unionist	AYE
Mrs Emma Little-Pengelly	Unionist	AYE
Mrs Naomi Long	Other	AYE
Mr Gordon Lyons	Unionist	AYE
Miss Nuala McAllister	Other	AYE
Mr Daniel McCrossan	Nationalist	NO
Mr Patsy McGlone	Nationalist	NO
Mr Colin McGrath	Nationalist	NO
Mr Philip McGuigan	Nationalist	NO
Mr Maolíosa McHugh	Nationalist	NO
Ms Sinéad McLaughlin	Nationalist	NO
Mr Andrew McMurray	Other	AYE
Mr Peter McReynolds	Other	AYE
Mrs Cathy Mason	Nationalist	NO
Mr Nick Mathison	Other	AYE
Mr Gary Middleton	Unionist	AYE
Mr Andrew Muir	Other	AYE
Ms Sian Mulholland	Other	AYE
Miss Áine Murphy	Nationalist	NO
Mr Mike Nesbitt	Unionist	AYE
Ms Carál Ní Chuilín	Nationalist	NO
Ms Kate Nicholl	Other	AYE
Mr John O'Dowd	Nationalist	NO
Mr Matthew O'Toole	Nationalist	NO
Ms Aisling Reilly	Nationalist	NO
Mr Alan Robinson	Unionist	AYE
Mr Pat Sheehan	Nationalist	NO
Ms Emma Sheerin	Nationalist	NO
Mr John Stewart	Unionist	AYE
Ms Claire Sugden	Unionist	AYE
Mr Eóin Tennyson	Other	AYE

Amendments

Number	Tabled Date	Amendment Text
1	16/05/2024	Leave out from ‘welcomes’ to ‘Paper’ and insert: ‘promotes defence and security levelling up in line with the UK Government’s announcement of an extra £75 billion increase in defence spending over five years with the aim of increasing Northern Ireland’s economic input from defence rising from £1 billion to £3 billion per year;’

Tabled Date	Amendment Text
15/05/2024	Leave out all after ‘potential of’ and insert: ‘demilitarising and repurposing the aerospace, defence, security, and space sectors in Northern Ireland for the creation of new green jobs as part of a just transition; notes that these growing industries employed 9,000 people across Northern Ireland in 2022 and provided over 500 apprenticeships; further notes that the technological capacities of these industries could help combat climate change with the development of renewable energy initiatives and infrastructure; notes that technology produced in Northern Ireland has fuelled a loss of human life in wars across the globe, however, recognises that such responsibility does not lie with workers in these industries, but with bosses who profit from war; calls on the Minister for the Economy to develop an ambitious programme to showcase opportunities for investment to demilitarise and repurpose local defence industries and shipbuilding; and further calls on the Minister to work with industry, trade unions and Executive colleagues to ensure our workforce has the skills required to adapt the defence and security industries in Northern Ireland for a more peaceful purpose that contributes to the betterment of our society rather than its destruction.’

Petition Of Concern

Assembly Business

MLAs

Questions

Plenary

Committees

Official Report

Index Terms

Legislation

Motion

Strengthening Northern Ireland’s Defence Industries

Find Your MLA

News and Media Centre

Follow the Assembly

Subscribe