| Motion Type | Motion | Tabled Date | Tablers |
| Committee Motion |
Extension of Committee Stage: Agriculture Bill (NIA Bill 08/22-27)
That, in accordance with Standing Order 33(4), the period referred to in Standing Order 33(2) be extended to 23 May 2025, in relation to the Committee Stage of the Agriculture Bill.
| 12/12/2024 | Mr Robbie Butler |
| Executive Motion |
The draft Period Products (Department of Health Specified Public Service Bodies) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024
That the draft Period Products (Department of Health Specified Public Service Bodies) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 be approved.
| 11/12/2024 | Minister of Health |
| Private Members' Motion |
Specialist Autism Mental Health Services
That this Assembly notes with great concern the lack of capacity within mental health services to meet the needs of those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD); further notes the lack of specialist interventions available for autistic individuals; affirms that mental health support is vital for many on the autism spectrum; and calls on the Minister of Health to bring forward plans to develop specialist autism mental health services, informed by the lived experiences of service users and their families, to meet the needs of those with ASD and other mental health conditions.
| 13/12/2024 | Mr Cathal Boylan; Mr Maolíosa McHugh; Ms Liz Kimmins |
| Private Members' Motion |
Voluntary Contributions in Schools
That this Assembly notes that the practice of requesting voluntary contributions is common in many schools; recognises that the need for voluntary contributions is a consequence of the underfunding of our schools over a long period of time; acknowledges that many families feel compelled to make voluntary contributions despite financial pressures they may face; further notes that teachers and school staff also make voluntary contributions towards providing additional learning resources and materials for pupils; calls on the Minister of Education to review the practice of voluntary contributions in order to understand its extent across our school system and how voluntary contributions are being used; and further calls on the Minister to strengthen current guidance for schools to ensure contributions are clearly understood as voluntary.
| 13/12/2024 | Mrs Cathy Mason; Mr Danny Baker; Mr Pat Sheehan |
| Private Members' Motion |
Prison Service Staff
That this Assembly acknowledges the exceptional work of the Northern Ireland Prison Service; understands that members of the Prison Service are regarded as members of the Northern Ireland Civil Service; recognises that the Northern Ireland Civil Service Staff Handbook does not take into account the unique role, working conditions and psychological strain faced by the Prison Service; and calls on the Minister of Finance to urgently review the Civil Service Staff Handbook to ensure it acknowledges the unique position of the Prison Service within the Northern Ireland Civil Service, particularly around sickness absence policies and the continued use of the term inefficiency in relation to mental health concerns amongst prison staff.
| 26/11/2024 | Mr Doug Beattie MC; Mr Andy Allen MBE; Mr John Stewart; Mr Robbie Butler |
| Private Members' Motion |
Protecting Frontline Services From Increase in Employers’ National Insurance
That this Assembly recognises the need to protect businesses and community and voluntary sector organisations that provide vital frontline services in Northern Ireland from the destructive impact of the increase in employers’ National Insurance contributions; notes concerns voiced by general practitioners, dentists, care homes and a range of other independent providers that this extra cost could lead to job losses, jeopardise the future of some services and create additional hardship for the most vulnerable in society; further notes the rising pressures facing Executive departments, local councils and the Northern Ireland Civil Service as a result of the Government’s decision; calls on the Minister of Finance to work with Executive colleagues to ascertain the total additional cost of increased employer National Insurance contributions for the public sector, including independent providers; and further calls on the Minister to lobby the Chancellor of Exchequer for the funding required to meet this shortfall in full, protect jobs and incomes and place the delivery of frontline public services on a stable footing.
| 26/11/2024 | Ms Diane Forsythe; Mr Phillip Brett; Mr Paul Frew |
| Private Members' Motion |
Paid Carer’s Leave
That this Assembly recognises the significant contribution to our economy and society made by the more than 220,000 people who are providing unpaid care for family and friends in Northern Ireland; acknowledges the economic and social impact of carers being forced out of the workplace or to reduce their hours due to the demands of caring responsibilities; regrets the lack of progress made on delivering paid carer’s leave since the Assembly passed a motion on the issue in March 2024; and calls on the Minister for the Economy to develop an informed assessment of the benefits of the provision of paid carer’s leave, and the potential cost to businesses, the economy and welfare spending of not doing so, within his forthcoming good jobs employment rights Bill.
| 21/11/2024 | Ms Kate Nicholl; Mr David Honeyford; Mr Peter McReynolds; Mr Nick Mathison |
| Private Members' Motion |
Reducing Stigma in Mental Illness
That this Assembly recognises that many people, from a cross-section of society, face mental health challenges; asserts that no person experiencing mental ill-health should feel any shame due to their illness; further recognises the need to fully implement the Mental Health Strategy 2021-2031; calls on the Minister of Health to take action to reduce stigma around mental illness and to bring forward a work plan on this issue, given its prevalence within society; and further calls on the Department of Health to deliver anti-stigma and anti-discrimination public awareness and education campaigns, as detailed in the first theme of the Mental Health Strategy.
| 21/11/2024 | Ms Liz Kimmins; Miss Órlaithí Flynn; Mrs Linda Dillon |
| Private Members' Motion |
Emergency Food Parcels for Children
That this Assembly expresses grave alarm that the number of emergency food parcels distributed by Trussell food banks to children in Northern Ireland increased by 90 per cent during the last five years; is further alarmed that the proportion of emergency food parcels provided to children is higher in Northern Ireland than any other part of the UK; is concerned by the recent report on child poverty from the Public Accounts Committee, which found that delivery of the Child Poverty Strategy has been characterised by failure; recognises that an adequate standard of living is essential for children’s physical, social and developmental needs; calls on the Minister for Communities to urgently publish the new anti-poverty strategy; and further calls on the Minister to work with the Department for Work and Pensions to create a progressive social security system that better supports families with children.
| 20/11/2024 | Ms Sian Mulholland; Ms Kellie Armstrong; Mrs Michelle Guy; Mr Andrew McMurray |
| Private Members' Motion |
Opposition to Legalisation of Assisted Suicide
That this Assembly recognises the need to compassionately support families tragically affected by terminal illness; opposes the legalisation of assisted suicide in Northern Ireland; believes such a law could lead to terminally ill patients and other vulnerable citizens wrongly perceiving themselves as a burden to their families and wider society; expresses deep alarm at the situation in Canada, where safeguards underpinning the country’s Medical Assistance in Dying laws are being rapidly eroded with the removal of the requirement that a person’s natural death be foreseeable and the planned expansion of eligibility to include grounds of mental illness alone from 2027; further notes that provision for assisted suicide would fundamentally and negatively change the relationship between doctors and patients; highlights widespread opposition to assisted suicide among medical professionals throughout the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, including those working in palliative, geriatric and primary care; notes research indicating that in countries where assisted suicide is made legal, suicide rates increase among the general population; is resolutely committed to supporting policies that reduce vulnerability rather than increase it; acknowledges that patients and clinicians already have a legal right to refuse or withdraw life-prolonging treatment, including where that treatment would lead to further distress and pain for patients with irreversible and worsening conditions; further believes that our National Health Service should be in the business of sustaining, not ending, life; and calls on the Minister of Health to bring forward plans to deliver enhanced, high-quality and compassionate palliative care provision for families affected by terminal diagnoses.
| 19/11/2024 | Mrs Diane Dodds; Mr Alan Robinson; Ms Joanne Bunting; Mr Peter Martin |
| Private Members' Motion |
Supporting a Public Health Approach to Tackling Gambling-Related Harms
That this Assembly welcomes the publication of the All-Party Group on Reducing Harm Related to Gambling's report, Public Health Approaches to Tackling Gambling Related Harms; agrees that gambling should be officially recognised as a public health issue in Northern Ireland; recognises that policies should incorporate population-based approaches that prioritise harm prevention, in line with the public health approach adopted for alcohol and tobacco; notes the urgent need to protect children and those already experiencing gambling harms from gambling-related marketing, which is currently both targeted and pervasive, particularly during sports broadcasts and on social media; calls on the Minister of Health to address the current unmet need within the healthcare system in Northern Ireland by commissioning statutory services specifically for gambling disorders; and further calls on all relevant Executive Departments to ensure the report's recommendations are carefully considered in the development of future policies aimed at preventing and mitigating gambling-related harms.
| 14/11/2024 | Mr Philip McGuigan; Mr Robbie Butler; Mr Danny Donnelly; Mr Paul Frew; Mr Justin McNulty |
| Private Members' Motion |
Support for Occupational Therapists
That this Assembly acknowledges Occupational Therapy Week 2024, from 4 to 10 November 2024; recognises the invaluable contribution made by occupational therapists in delivering holistic, person-centred care in all areas of the health and social care system, including improving hospital discharge and services within acute care, primary care, housing, education, justice and mental health settings; believes that occupational therapists have a key role to play in the prevention and early intervention agenda, as well as supporting citizens through their rehabilitation journey and working with people in the community; and calls on the Department of Health to examine workforce planning for occupational therapists to ensure this workforce is supported, sustainable and fit for the future.
| 04/11/2024 | Mr Danny Donnelly; Miss Nuala McAllister; Mr Stewart Dickson; Ms Paula Bradshaw; Ms Sian Mulholland |
| Private Members' Motion |
Extending Welfare Supplementary Payments for the Benefit Cap
That this Assembly agrees on the importance of extending welfare supplementary payments for the benefit cap beyond the pending cliff edge in March 2025; recognises that mitigating the benefit cap is an important protection against poverty and hardship for families in Northern Ireland; expresses deep concern that the Child Poverty Action Group 2024 briefing paper, Why Scrapping the Household Benefit Cap is Vital for Families, Children and Survivors of Abuse, shows that, in Great Britain, the benefit cap traps families in deep poverty, disproportionately impacts on children and survivors of domestic abuse, contributes to homelessness, and has been ineffective at moving people into work; and calls on the Minister for Communities to urgently bring forward regulations to extend welfare supplementary payments for the benefit cap beyond 31 March 2025.
| 25/10/2024 | Ms Sian Mulholland; Ms Kellie Armstrong; Mrs Michelle Guy; Mr Andrew McMurray |
| Private Members' Motion |
Moy Park: Industrial Derating
That this Assembly notes recent reports that Moy Park has become the first company in Northern Ireland to reach £2 billion in sales; further notes that the company cut its workforce by 6.7% in 2023; regrets that Northern Ireland is the only place on these islands where businesses, such as Moy Park, benefit from rates relief in the form of industrial derating; and calls on the Minister of Finance to phase out industrial derating and work to ensure Moy Park are paying adequate rates and taxes on their profits.
| 25/10/2024 | Mr Gerry Carroll |
| Private Members' Motion |
Unadopted Roads, Alleyways and Footpaths
That this Assembly notes with concern the vast number of unadopted roads, alleyways and footpaths throughout Northern Ireland; further notes that many of these issues have remained unresolved for decades; recognises the adverse impact this has on householders and local communities; is concerned by the lack of action to date; and calls on the Minister for Infrastructure to develop a comprehensive action plan to address this issue and present it to the Assembly within the next twelve months.
| 18/10/2024 | Mr John Stewart; Mr Andy Allen MBE; Mr Robbie Butler; Ms Diana Armstrong |
| Private Members' Motion |
No Confidence
That this Assembly notes the inconsistences in the accounts of the First Minister in relation to what she and her party knew and did in relation to the provision of references for Michael McMonagle; condemns the First Minister and the Minister for the Economy for their questioning of the actions of the British Heart Foundation; repudiates the unsubstantiated claim by the Minister for the Economy that warning the charity about the police investigation into Michael McMonagle would have prejudiced the investigation; accordingly has no confidence in either the First Minister or the Minister for the Economy; and therefore calls for both Ministers to resign.
| 07/10/2024 | Mr Timothy Gaston |
| Private Members' Motion |
Peace and Peacebuilding Mission in Programme for Government
That this Assembly welcomes the publication of the draft Programme for Government; recognises that the finalised Programme for Government should include a stand-alone Mission on Peace and Peacebuilding; further recognises that peacebuilding, reconciliation, equality and inclusion are vital to achieving the key ambitions in the Programme for Government; notes that political instability and the impact of societal division and paramilitarism are major barriers to growing our economy, improving our public services and creating shared, safe and prosperous communities; and calls on the First Minister and deputy First Minister to ensure a stand-alone Mission on Peace and Peacebuilding is included in the finalised Programme for Government.
| 01/10/2024 | Ms Paula Bradshaw; Ms Connie Egan; Mr Stewart Dickson; Mr David Honeyford; Ms Kate Nicholl |
| Private Members' Motion |
Shared Island Youth Forum
That this Assembly endorses the Shared Island Youth Forum's vision and values for a Shared Future on the island of Ireland; acknowledges the importance of the visions for sustainability, opportunity, wellbeing, culture and equality set out in the Forum's Outcome Statement; notes the Forum’s recognition of the importance of promoting the inherent dignity of all people, developing learning opportunities including through art and sport, acknowledging stigma and ensuring everyone feels valued and protected; and calls on the First Minister and deputy First Minister to lay an annual report before the Assembly on progress towards achieving the Forum’s inspiring actions for a shared future.
| 25/09/2024 | Ms Paula Bradshaw; Ms Connie Egan; Mr David Honeyford; Ms Sian Mulholland |
| Private Members' Motion |
Utilising the Children’s Services Co-operation Act (2015) to deliver SEND transformation
That this Assembly recognises the serious, long term and systemic challenges that are facing the delivery of services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND); notes that the current crisis management approach is leaving children without an appropriate SEND placement for September 2024; welcomes the ongoing End to End Review of SEN by both the Department of Education and the Education Authority; recognises the potential that the Children’s Services Co-operation Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 has in tackling these systemic issues; notes the observation from the first report on the operation of the Act, that resource pooling has been limited and is considered to have significant untapped potential; and calls on Minister of Education to engage with the Minister of Health to create a joint SEND action plan which outlines how the two departments will collaborate to deliver jointly planned and commissioned services, including explicit detail on how they will work with the Minister of Finance to facilitate the pooling of resources in order to deliver real and effective transformation.
| 02/09/2024 | Mr Nick Mathison; Mrs Michelle Guy; Miss Nuala McAllister; Mr Eóin Tennyson; Mr Danny Donnelly |
| Private Members' Motion |
Environmental Improvement Plan
That this Assembly agrees the importance of urgently adopting an Environmental Improvement Plan, as Northern Ireland's first Environment Strategy, to complement the implementation of a comprehensive, overarching and cross-departmental approach to tackle the water quality issues at Lough Neagh, so that we safeguard our environment for future generations.
| 18/06/2024 | Mr John Blair; Mr Andrew McMurray; Mr Peter McReynolds; Mr Eóin Tennyson |
| Private Members' Motion |
Proper Funding for Effective Public Services
That this Assembly recognises that years of British Government austerity and underfunding of the Executive has seriously undermined our public services in many areas, including health, housing, and education; notes its endorsement of the letter sent to Prime Minister Sunak by all Executive Ministers in February 2024; welcomes the work of the Minister of Finance, on behalf of the Executive, in securing the agreement of the British Government to an interim Fiscal Framework which includes assurances that the Executive can plan on the assumption it will be funded at or above the 124 per cent level of relative need in future financial years; acknowledges that work is ongoing towards delivering a final Fiscal Framework; and calls on the Minister of Finance to write, on behalf of the Assembly, to the next British Government, calling for our public finances to be placed on a more sustainable footing, and for the Executive to have the resources that it needs.
| 18/06/2024 | Miss Nicola Brogan; Ms Liz Kimmins; Mrs Ciara Ferguson; Mr Pat Sheehan |
| Private Members' Motion |
Prompt Payment in Public Sector Contracts
That this Assembly acknowledges the severe difficulties faced by sub-contractors to public sector contracts, from both central and local government, caused by late payments; recognises the reasonable expectation that all contractors, including sub-contractors, should be paid punctually to ensure that they do not face cash flow problems as a result of delivering public service contracts; and calls on the Minister of Finance to work with Executive colleagues to ensure that under the terms of all public sector contracts, all contractors, including sub-contractors, are paid within 30 days of invoicing for work completed.
| 14/05/2024 | Mr David Honeyford; Mr Eóin Tennyson; Mr Nick Mathison |
| Private Members' Motion |
Making Northern Ireland 100 per cent Full Fibre Broadband
That this Assembly believes digital connectivity is integral to building a prosperous and inclusive Northern Ireland; welcomes the recent Ofcom report, Connected Nations, which found that nearly three quarters of a million homes in Northern Ireland – 91 per cent of all homes - have access to full-fibre broadband, making it the best connected region within the British Isles; highlights the contribution made by Project Stratum as a result of £150m in funding secured by the Democratic Unionist Party in 2017 under the confidence and supply agreement; recognises that Northern Ireland is on course to be the first region in Europe to have 100 per cent fibre broadband availability; is committed to exploiting growth opportunities flowing from high-speed broadband connection whilst encouraging digital literacy projects in rural and hard-to-reach areas; and calls on the Minister for the Economy to set out a clear plan to encourage uptake by more homes and businesses to fast and reliable broadband; and further calls on the Minister to ensure Northern Ireland is best placed to benefit from further UK Government initiatives, including Project Gigabit.
| 07/05/2024 | Mr Phillip Brett; Mr Jonathan Buckley; Mr Gary Middleton |
| Private Members' Motion |
Gaza Ceasefire
That this Assembly agrees that apartheid Israel is engaged in a genocide in Gaza; notes that at least 35,000 of Palestinians have been killed, including over 12,000 children, with many more seriously injured and traumatised; recognises that some two million people are displaced and face a catastrophic humanitarian crisis with forced famine conditions; expresses disgust at the level of collective punishment inflicted on the people of Gaza by Israel and commends the mass movement that has erupted across Ireland against the violence in recent months; affirms its support for a ceasefire, the boycott divestment and the sanctions campaign, for expulsion of Israeli ambassadors from Britain and Ireland, for Israel to be held accountable by international bodies for war crimes and genocide, and for Palestinian self-determination; further recognises and condemns the fact that Israel has bombed Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank, Iran and Yemen with the complete backing of western governments in the US, Britain and elsewhere; further agrees that Israel's murderous campaign is highly dependent on the military, financial and political support of President Biden and the US government in particular; agrees that the Biden administration has immorally opposed calls for a humanitarian ceasefire, systematically repeated Israeli war propaganda and that President Biden has personally bypassed Congress to transfer arms to Israel during the genocidal war that will cause widespread death and suffering in Gaza; and calls on Israel and its allies to urgently de-escalate what could be a wider regional war; and further calls on the First and Deputy First Minister to write to Claire Cronin, US Ambassador to Ireland, David Cameron, UK Foreign Secretary and Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, calling for an immediate suspension of all military, financial, and diplomatic support for apartheid Israel and its genocidal war on Palestine.
| 18/04/2024 | Mr Gerry Carroll |
| Private Members' Motion |
A 24/7 Thrombectomy Service
That this Assembly acknowledges that thrombectomy is one of the most effective medical interventions ever discovered; further acknowledges that despite the hard work of health service staff to develop the thrombectomy service it is unacceptable that less than half of eligible patients in Northern Ireland receive thrombectomy due to lack of staff, funding and resources; recognises that 24/7 access to thrombectomy is essential to reducing disability after stroke; further recognises that the Stroke Action Plan recommendation of moving to a 24/7 service by the end of 2024 should be prioritised; and calls on the Minister of Health to commit to the expansion of the thrombectomy service with multi-year investment, to tackle the stroke workforce shortages, invest in innovations and progress stroke transformation to create efficient treatment pathways as a matter of urgency.
| 15/04/2024 | Miss Nuala McAllister; Mr Danny Donnelly; Ms Paula Bradshaw |
| Private Members' Motion |
Kingsmill Inquest - Need for a Public Inquiry
That this Assembly notes the findings of the Kingsmill Inquest; condemns the IRA for their attempts to deny responsibility for the sectarian murders; believes that those behind the massacre should be named; further believes that the refusal of the Irish authorities and Sinn Féin to engage fully with the inquest is reprehensible; and calls for justice for the families of the victims and backs their call for a full public inquiry into the events of 5th January 1976.
| 15/04/2024 | Mr Timothy Gaston |
| Private Members' Motion |
Institutional Contribution to Recognition and Redress
That this Assembly expresses its shame at the historical institutional childhood abuse which took place in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 1995; acknowledges the ongoing trauma and suffering of victims and survivors; salutes the courage of those leading groups representing and supporting victims and survivors in continuing to seek adequate assistance and acknowledgement; recognises the anger and frustration felt by victims and survivors that they have not been adequately supported; deplores the ongoing failure of the institutions directly responsible for this trauma and suffering to engage adequately in contributing to redress and recognition since they were given notice that they would have to meet such
obligations in 2010; and calls on the First Minister and deputy First Minister to explore all possible means of ensuring as a matter of urgency that those institutions, as they have in other jurisdictions, make a fair and meaningful contribution to public recognition of and financial redress to victims and survivors.
| 11/04/2024 | Ms Paula Bradshaw; Ms Connie Egan; Miss Nuala McAllister; Ms Sian Mulholland |
| Private Members' Motion |
Cancer Strategy
That this Assembly acknowledges the widespread concern at the increase in cancer diagnoses among children and young people over the past decades; notes that some rarer cancers require co-operation across borders, including sharing of information such as clinical trial results and cancer registries; stresses the need to prioritise the tracking of the prevalence of particular cancers to enable more efficient interventions and better patient outcomes; recognises that countries and regions with the best cancer outcomes have delivered these through the adoption of a strategic approach based on ongoing learning and cross-party political endorsement; and calls on the Minister of Health to set out a clear plan to implement the Cancer Strategy 2022-32 as a matter of urgency.
| 09/04/2024 | Ms Paula Bradshaw; Mr Danny Donnelly; Mr Stewart Dickson; Mr David Honeyford; Ms Kellie Armstrong |
| Private Members' Motion |
Supporting the Residents of the Victoria Square Apartments
That this Assembly notes the distress, disruption, and financial difficulties faced by the residents of the defective Victoria Square apartments; agrees that residents should not be forced to pay for the mistakes of developers or for poor planning decisions; believes that affected residents should be entitled to a rates rebate and full refund on their properties; appeals to residents experiencing similar issues in potentially defective properties to come forward and report their concerns; calls on the Executive to put in place a financial package to cover any associated legal or other costs for residents; and further calls on the Executive to establish a cross-departmental task force to investigate the problems associated with the Victoria Square apartments and to hold those responsible to account.
| 22/03/2024 | Mr Gerry Carroll |
| Private Members' Motion |
Enhancing Tree Protection
That this Assembly acknowledges the significance of trees as vital infrastructure that require both care and safeguarding as part of the planning process; recognises the important role that trees play in protecting our environment, responding to climate change and providing broader health, economic and societal advantages; notes the November 2023 Report by the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman entitled Strengthening our Roots, which highlighted the inconsistent approach taken by public authorities towards tree protection; believes that enhancing the protection of Northern Ireland’s existing trees is of equal importance to planting new trees; and calls on the Minister for Infrastructure to outline how his Department plans to improve and enhance the planning system to strengthen the legislative framework for the protection of trees.
| 05/03/2024 | Mr Peter McReynolds; Mr Stewart Dickson; Mr John Blair; Ms Paula Bradshaw; Mr Nick Mathison; Mr Danny Donnelly |
| Private Members' Motion |
European Remembrance Day for Victims of Terrorism
That this Assembly notes with approval the European Remembrance Day for Victims of Terrorism on 11 March; condemns all terrorist murders and attacks both in Northern Ireland and abroad, acknowledging there was and is no justification for terrorism; and declares its support for victims of terrorists and their families, including their pursuit of justice.
| 29/02/2024 | Mr Timothy Gaston |
| Private Members' Motion |
Social Care Workforce
That this Assembly recognises how crucial social care workers are to our society, healthcare system and economy; acknowledges that it is a hugely varied sector and views those that work in social care as highly skilled and valued; further acknowledges that pay and conditions needs to be improved in the sector along with the development of clear training and career pathways if we are to attract and retain staff; condemns the recent migration policy of the UK Government to not allow care workers to bring dependants on their work visa; and calls on the Minister of Health urgently to outline his short-term and long-term plans to address the shortage of people entering the profession; and further calls on the Minister to provide sufficient funding to enable the public sector and the independent sector partners to pay social care workers a fair wage.
| 28/02/2024 | Miss Nuala McAllister; Mr Danny Donnelly; Ms Paula Bradshaw |
| Private Members' Motion |
Exoneration of Northern Ireland Sub-Postmasters
That this Assembly expresses support for those sub-postmasters and postmistresses in Northern Ireland who were wrongly prosecuted and convicted as a result the Horizon IT scandal; notes with deep regret that some Post Office employees served custodial sentences for crimes they did not commit; further notes that this ordeal has been life-changing for victims, many of whom have suffered bankruptcy, reputation loss and ill-health; stresses the need for fair and timely compensation for those affected; believes it is unacceptable that local sub-postmasters and postmistresses are still fighting to clear their name; further believes the pace of exonerations to date has been too slow; welcomes the UK Government’s commitment to introducing legislation to quash wrongful convictions associated with the Post Office Horizon IT system; condemns the failure to extend that draft legislation to Northern Ireland; and calls on the Minister of Justice to work with the Department for Business and Trade to ensure local sub-postmasters and postmistresses have their convictions quashed without delay.
| 26/02/2024 | Ms Joanne Bunting; Mr Maurice Bradley |
| Private Members' Motion |
Miscarriage Leave and Pay
That this Assembly reiterates its support for the provisions of the Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, and associated regulations, which established the right for eligible working parents in Northern Ireland to take paid statutory parental bereavement leave following the death or stillbirth of a child; believes employees who experience pregnancy loss through miscarriage should also be able to avail of this support as a day one right with no minimum period of employment required; and calls on the Minister for the Economy to urgently introduce regulations to provide a statutory entitlement to miscarriage leave and pay.
| 13/02/2024 | Mr Phillip Brett; Mr Gary Middleton; Mr Jonathan Buckley; Mrs Diane Dodds |
| Private Members' Motion |
Careers Advice in Schools
That this Assembly supports the reform of careers advice in schools; welcomes the recommendations outlined in the Independent Review of Education in relation to careers service reform; recognises that effective careers advice is critical for young people, our economy and society and is delivered most effectively by trained careers advisors from primary school onwards; believes that young people should have access to meaningful work experience opportunities across a variety of sectors; and calls on the Minister of Education and the Minister for the Economy to work together to commit to delivering a careers advice system in schools that caters to the individual needs and interests of all children, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and provides all young people with accessible, consistent, up to date advice and work experience opportunities in both vocational and academic career paths, delivered in partnership with local communities and businesses.
| 09/02/2024 | Mr Nick Mathison |
| Private Members' Motion |
Apartheid Israel
That this Assembly agrees that apartheid Israel is engaged in a genocide in Gaza; notes that tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed, including over 10,000 children, many more have been seriously injured and traumatised, and that almost 2 million people are displaced and face a catastrophic humanitarian crisis with famine conditions; reiterates its disgust at the level of collective suffering inflicted on the people of Gaza and commends the mass movement that has erupted across Ireland against the violence in recent months; affirms its support for a ceasefire, the boycott divestment and the sanctions campaign, for expulsion of Israeli ambassadors from Britain and Ireland, for Israel to be held accountable by international bodies for war crimes and genocide, and for Palestinian self-determination; further agrees that Israel's murderous campaign of collective punishment is highly dependent on the military, financial and political support of President Biden and the US government in particular; agrees the Biden administration has immorally opposed calls for a humanitarian ceasefire, systematically repeated Israeli war propaganda and that President Biden has personally bypassed Congress to transfer arms to Israel during the genocidal war that will cause widespread death and suffering in Gaza; further agrees to write to the Taoiseach and all political parties on the island of Ireland calling on them not to attend St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the White House, nor to meet with President Biden or any representative of his administration as part of the St. Patrick’s Day events; and agrees to write to Claire Cronin, US Ambassador to Ireland, British Foreign Secretary, David Cameron and Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, calling for an immediate suspension of all military, financial, and diplomatic support for apartheid Israel and its genocidal war on Palestine.
| 08/02/2024 | Mr Gerry Carroll |
| Private Members' Motion |
Flood Relief Funding for Those Impacted by Floods Across Northern Ireland in 2023
That this Assembly recognises the devastating impact of floods across Northern Ireland in late 2023, and the acute impact felt by households and businesses in the South East in particular; acknowledges that extreme weather events such as flooding are a direct result of the climate crisis, and that we must adapt and prepare for future natural disasters, including adequate government funding schemes to protect and support households and businesses; and calls on the Minister for the Economy to urgently expedite the delivery of the next phase of flood relief funding for businesses, and to ensure that this explores ways of including those excluded from previous funding schemes.
| 02/02/2024 | Ms Kellie Armstrong; Mr Peter McReynolds; Mr Danny Donnelly; Mr Eóin Tennyson; Mr John Blair |
| Private Members' Motion |
Diagnosis and Treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
That this Assembly recognises the severe difficulties faced by people seeking diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and their families, given the ongoing delays and lengthening waiting times; further recognises the urgent need to ensure that treatment and services are accessible to people of all ages with ADHD across Northern Ireland; notes the significant and growing need for information and support in households, schools and workplaces to ensure that people with ADHD can fulfil their full potential; and calls on the Minister of Health to take urgent action to ensure that Health and Social Care Trusts are properly commissioned to diagnose and treat patients, to ensure that GPs can enter shared care arrangements, and to ensure that adequate pathways, reflective of individual need, are in place for those diagnosed.
| 17/01/2024 | Ms Paula Bradshaw; Mr Stewart Dickson; Mr Danny Donnelly; Mr David Honeyford; Ms Kate Nicholl; Mr Nick Mathison; Ms Sian Mulholland; Mr Eóin Tennyson |
| Private Members' Motion |
Indemnity Scheme for GPs
That this Assembly recognises the ongoing challenges to the sustainability of general practices locally; notes that Northern Ireland remains the only region in the UK in which GPs are required to pay high personal costs for indemnity; expresses concern that GPs are expected to take on the responsibility of such costs; further recognises that the status quo of indemnity is resulting in an inability to retain GPs or attract new GPs; and calls on the Minister of Health to institute immediately a government-backed scheme of indemnity with an interim reimbursement scheme for all NHS practising GPs.
| 16/01/2024 | Mr Colin McGrath |
| Private Members' Motion |
Proposals for Water Run-off Legislation
That this Assembly recognises the lack of statutory support for property owners impacted by flooding caused by water run-off from private land; and calls on the Minister for Infrastructure to bring forward proposals for legislation to provide support for those impacted by flooding in this way.
| 12/12/2023 | Mr Alan Chambers |
| Private Members' Motion |
Legislation to introduce Awaab’s Law in Northern Ireland
That this Assembly recognises the danger to life of hazards such as mould and damp in homes; and calls on the Minister for Communities to ensure Awaab’s Law, named after toddler Awaab Ishak who a coroner ruled died from a respiratory condition caused by exposure to mould in his home, is brought into Northern Ireland legislation, including provision requiring landlords to improve their performance in removing damp and mould from homes.
| 15/11/2023 | Ms Kellie Armstrong |
| Private Members' Motion |
Update of the Travelling Expenses and Remission of Charges Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004
That this Assembly calls on the Minister of Health to update the Travelling Expenses and Remission of Charges Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004 to include Universal Credit recipients with incomes below specified thresholds.
| 23/10/2023 | Ms Kellie Armstrong; Ms Paula Bradshaw; Mr Andy Allen MBE; Mr Robbie Butler |
| Private Members' Motion |
Childcare Reform
That this Assembly recognises that childcare is vital social and economic infrastructure, a crucial form of early intervention and early education, an anti-poverty tool, and a means by which to improve productivity and gender equality in the labour market; acknowledges the failure of the 30 free hours of childcare model to deliver for households and providers in England; believes childcare should be child-centred, of a high quality and accessible for all children; and commits to delivering an Affordable Childcare Scheme that operates through government payments to registered childcare providers, in order to limit the costs paid by parents and support the sustainability of the sector.
| 18/10/2023 | Ms Kate Nicholl; Mr Nick Mathison; Miss Nuala McAllister; Ms Connie Egan |
| Private Members' Motion |
Universal Basic Income
That this Assembly recognises the need for innovative solutions to tackle poverty and inequality in Northern Ireland; notes the progress in developing basic income pilot programmes in Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales, as well as plans being developed by the All Party Working Group on Universal Basic Income; and calls on the Minister for Communities to scope the actions required to introduce a trial of universal basic income, including funding from Westminster and other external sources to help finance the trial.
| 18/10/2023 | Mr Nick Mathison; Mr Andy Allen MBE |
| Private Members' Motion |
Minimum Unit Price for Alcohol
That this Assembly expresses concern at the serious harm caused by high levels of alcohol consumption; notes current estimates that harmful drinking in Northern Ireland costs the Health Service alone £300 million every year; recognises that any moves to reduce alcohol abuse will cover a range of measures including support for those suffering from addiction; further notes the April 2023 paper from the University of Sheffield, published by the Department of Health, noting that the introduction of Minimum Unit Pricing at 50p per unit and the placing of restrictions on price-related alcohol promotions would lead to fewer alcohol-attributable deaths, hospital admissions, criminal offences and workplace absences; and calls on the Minister of Health, urgently, to bring forward legislation similar to that already applying in Scotland and Wales, for consideration by this Assembly.
| 27/09/2023 | Ms Paula Bradshaw; Mrs Naomi Long; Ms Kellie Armstrong; Mr John Blair; Mr Stewart Dickson |
| Private Members' Motion |
Guaranteeing the Provision of Essentials Under Universal Credit
That this Assembly supports the Trussell Trust and Joseph Rowntree Foundation campaign Guarantee our Essentials; and calls on the Minister for Communities to assess the adequacy of the level of universal credit payments in Northern Ireland, and to provide a copy of the resulting report to the Department for Work and Pensions as part of a request to update benefit amounts to meet need.
| 14/09/2023 | Ms Kellie Armstrong; Ms Paula Bradshaw; Mr Nick Mathison; Ms Sian Mulholland; Ms Kate Nicholl |
| Private Members' Motion |
Flexible Working Rights
That this Assembly recognises the importance of flexible working to the Northern Ireland economy; acknowledges that the lengthy and cumbersome process involved in applying for flexible working is limiting our economic potential; further recognises that without flexible working those who are caring for children or with other caring responsibilities may be prevented from participating fully in our economy; and recognises that requesting flexible working should be a day one right for employees as part of building a more inclusive and productive local economy.
| 06/09/2023 | Ms Kate Nicholl |
| Private Members' Motion |
Food Hypersensitivity
That this Assembly accepts the conclusions contained in the Consumer Council’s report on Food Hypersensitivity; and calls on the Minister for the Economy to deliver a ‘food inclusive’ programme by working with local food suppliers, shops and supermarkets to enhance the availability, affordability and choice of foods for citizens who require a hypersensitive diet.
| 05/09/2023 | Ms Kellie Armstrong; Ms Paula Bradshaw; Mr Peter McReynolds |
| Private Members' Motion |
Audiology Waiting Times
That this Assembly notes with concern the waiting times for a first audiology appointment across all Health and Social Care Trusts; and calls on the Minister of Health to review the Primary Eyecare Assessment and Referral Service (PEARs) to ascertain whether this approach to service provision could be implemented for audiology services in order to help reduce audiology waiting lists.
| 21/06/2023 | Ms Kellie Armstrong; Ms Paula Bradshaw |
| Private Members' Motion |
Neonatal Care Leave and Pay
That this Assembly recognises the impact that caring for a premature baby has on a family; and calls on the Minister for the Economy to introduce neonatal care leave and pay.
| 31/03/2023 | Ms Kellie Armstrong; Ms Paula Bradshaw; Mr Stewart Dickson |
| Private Members' Motion |
Baby Loss Memorial Book
That this Assembly calls on the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Health, working together, to introduce a memorial book and a commemorative certificate, to give recognition and comfort for people who wish to record pregnancy or baby loss prior to 24 weeks.
| 20/03/2023 | Ms Kellie Armstrong; Mr John Blair; Ms Paula Bradshaw; Mr Stewart Dickson; Mr Danny Donnelly; Ms Connie Egan; Mr David Honeyford; Mrs Naomi Long; Mr Nick Mathison; Miss Nuala McAllister; Mr Peter McReynolds; Mr Andrew Muir; Ms Kate Nicholl; Mr Eóin Tennyson |
| Private Members' Motion |
Infant Mental Health
That this Assembly notes Action 11 of the Mental Health Strategy 2021-2031 around infant mental health; endorses the Association for Infant Mental Health Stronger from the Start Manifesto 2022; supports the enhancement of the Mental Health Strategy to strengthen reference to the importance of secure, responsive relationships; further supports the inclusion in the Strategy of stronger actions to reduce poverty, stress, fear and anxiety on parents and care-givers in recognition of the positive impact these actions have on infant mental health; recognises the significant cost in mental health services of late intervention; and calls on the Minister of Health to set out an implementation plan on infant mental health to include leadership and collaboration, improving evidence and policy, workforce development and service development.
| 06/02/2023 | Ms Paula Bradshaw; Mr Danny Donnelly; Ms Kate Nicholl; Ms Connie Egan; Miss Nuala McAllister; Mr Nick Mathison; Ms Kellie Armstrong |
| Private Members' Motion |
Recognition and Support for Young Carers in School
That this Assembly calls on the Minister of Education to take forward the recommendations from the Action for Children’s Young Carers’ Education Research; and to update the school admission process to identify young carers to allow for the provision of appropriate recognition and support.
| 31/01/2023 | Ms Kellie Armstrong; Mr Nick Mathison; Ms Kate Nicholl; Ms Paula Bradshaw; Ms Connie Egan; Mr Danny Donnelly; Mr Peter McReynolds |
| Private Members' Motion |
School Uniforms
That this Assembly recognises that the cost of living crisis is having a devastating impact on many families and individuals across Northern Ireland and that the cost of school uniforms places a substantial additional financial burden on many households; notes with concern the findings from the Irish League of Credit Unions that one third of parents get into debt each year buying school uniforms; calls on the Minister of Education to introduce a price cap on total school uniform costs across primary and secondary education; further calls on the Minister to raise the school uniform grant to match the school uniform price cap to ensure that all grant recipients receive the actual cost of their child's school uniform; and calls on the Department of Education to place Circular 2011/04 - Guidance to schools on school uniform policy (revised June 2018) on a statutory footing, requiring schools to demonstrate compliance.
| 29/09/2022 | Mr Nick Mathison; Ms Connie Egan |
| Private Members' Motion |
Patient Safety Commissioner
That this Assembly notes with concern the serious issues and clear patient harm evident in reports such as the Serious Adverse Incident Review and the Independent Neurology Inquiry; further notes that reports elsewhere in the UK, such as the First Do No Harm Report, have found serious gaps and lessons to be learned in our systemic approach to patient safety across the UK; and calls on the Minister of Health to proceed without delay to establish a fully independent Patient Safety Commissioner, sitting outside the Department, to act as a champion for patients and to provide recommendations on how to put patients first as part of the transformation of Health and Social Care.
| 06/09/2022 | Ms Paula Bradshaw |
| Private Members' Motion |
Assembly Opposition to the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill
That this Assembly opposes the British Government's reckless Northern Ireland Protocol Bill; agrees that it constitutes a breach of international law; recognises that the majority of people represented by this Assembly voted against Brexit; rejects the claim of the British Government that it is motivated by protecting the Good Friday Agreement; understands that the Protocol is the only available protection from the worst impacts of Brexit for businesses, workers and farmers; further understands that the Protocol affords clear economic advantages through access to the EU Market; and calls on the British Government to desist from unilateral actions and to engage with the European Union through the agreed and available Joint Committee mechanism.
| 03/08/2022 | Ms Michelle O'Neill; Mr Declan Kearney; Dr Caoimhe Archibald; Mr Declan McAleer |
| Private Members' Motion |
Tackling the Climate Emergency and Cost of Living Crisis
That this Assembly recognises that tackling the climate emergency and the cost of living crisis go hand in hand; recognises that we must reduce emissions urgently, insulate homes and create a fair economy for workers; and calls on the Executive to deliver a Green New Deal.
| 03/08/2022 | Mr John Blair; Mrs Naomi Long; Mr Eóin Tennyson; Ms Paula Bradshaw; Mr Peter McReynolds; Ms Kate Nicholl |
| Private Members' Motion |
Urgent Appointment of Executive Ministers
That this Assembly supports the urgent appointment of Executive Ministers; calls for the formation of an Executive without further delay to ensure that the democratic outcome of the election is respected; and further calls for immediate action to be taken by an incoming Executive to address the issues pressing down on the public, including, the cost-of-living crisis, the challenges in our health system and other fundamental issues which demand immediate government attention.
| 03/08/2022 | Ms Michelle O'Neill; Dr Caoimhe Archibald; Mr Pat Sheehan; Mr Colm Gildernew |
| Private Members' Motion |
Ambulance Provision
That this Assembly recognises that many patients, especially those in rural areas, are facing long waiting times for the arrival of an ambulance; expresses its sympathy to the families of those who have died while waiting for an ambulance or to be admitted to hospital; further recognises that these long waits can have negative effects on patient outcomes; calls on the Minister of Health to review the problems posed by ambulances gathered outside Emergency Departments due to waiting times; and further calls on the Minister of Health to consider the implementation of the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service Clinical Response Model to improve equity of access to ambulance provision.
| 01/07/2022 | Mr Colin McGrath |
| Private Members' Motion |
Farmers' Basic Payment Scheme
That this Assembly recognises the significant investment in rural communities and businesses, and the wider economy derived from the Single Farm Payment under the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP); agrees that CAP Single Farm Payments were critical to farm profitability, particularly for small family farms; is concerned with the significant uncertainty facing our farming community with the loss of CAP Single Farm Payments as a result of Brexit and the end of the replacement Basic Payment Scheme, worth £300m a year, beyond 2024; and calls on the British Government and the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to set out urgently what replacement funds will be put in place to support our farmers and the wider agricultural sector.
| 01/07/2022 | Mr Declan McAleer; Mr Philip McGuigan; Ms Emma Sheerin; Mrs Cathy Mason |
| Private Members' Motion |
Health Transformation Plan
That this Assembly recognises that the health and social care system has suffered from decades of neglect and underfunding and is currently experiencing extreme pressures, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic; further recognises the impact that long waiting lists are having on the physical, psychological and emotional wellbeing of patients across Northern Ireland, many of whom are waiting in chronic pain; acknowledges the need for long-term transformation to preserve a free and accessible health service; notes the need for accountability and transparency regarding waiting lists; and calls on the Minister of Health to design and implement an urgent and transparent plan for the transformation of the health service that includes a commitment to an annual report setting out the Department’s response to the waiting times backlog.
| 01/07/2022 | Mr Colin McGrath |
| Private Members' Motion |
Mental Health Strategy
That this Assembly recognises the mental health crisis faced by people in Northern Ireland; notes with grave concern that Northern Ireland has a 25 percent higher rate of mental ill-health than England; further notes the particular challenges faced by young people in schools; further recognises the need for greater investment and support for mental health services; welcomes the contribution made by the Mental Health Champion; supports the adoption of specific measures to support pupils in schools including the expansion of primary school counselling beyond the pilot programme, the provision of mental health first aid training for school staff, the development of a special educational needs mental health plan and the commitment to integrating well-being into school life with a holistic approach; calls on the Executive to fund fully the ten-year cross-departmental Mental Health Strategy; and further calls for the Executive to appoint a junior Minister with responsibility for Mental Health services.
| 01/07/2022 | Mr Colin McGrath |
| Private Members' Motion |
Support for Alzheimer’s Society Northern Ireland
That this Assembly acknowledges the significant impact of Alzheimer’s disease and all kinds of dementia on over 20,000 people in Northern Ireland; recognises the need to improve research, diagnosis, care and support for people living with dementia and their families; notes with grave concern the particular impact of the cost-of-living crisis on people with dementia; further recognises the importance of ensuring that the voices of people living with dementia are heard; and calls on the Health Minister to fund fully the rollout of the Regional Dementia Care Pathway and to ensure that dementia is made a standalone priority in the reform of adult social care.
| 01/07/2022 | Mr Colin McGrath |
| Private Members' Motion |
Support for Cancer Patients
That this Assembly recognises the significant impact of the pandemic on cancer services; acknowledges the pressing need to improve cancer waiting times to ensure early diagnoses; further acknowledges the need for comprehensive workforce planning to improve diagnosis and treatment; further recognises the need for personalised, integrated care and enhanced wellbeing support for people living with cancer; calls on the Minister of Health to deliver a multi-year cancer workforce funding settlement; further calls on the Minister of Health to develop and fund a new palliative and end of life care strategy; and calls on the Executive to guarantee recurrent funding to fully implement and resource the Cancer Strategy.
| 01/07/2022 | Mr Colin McGrath |
| Private Members' Motion |
Support for Nurses
That this Assembly recognises the immense contribution of all our health and social care staff, including our nursing staff who play an invaluable role in the service; notes that many of our nursing workforce are suffering the physical, psychological and emotional impacts of increased working hours and poor working conditions; further recognises the need for the Executive to act urgently to deal with the challenges facing the nursing workforce; understands that the lack of an appropriately staffed and supported nursing workforce is a key reason for the crisis facing the health service; recognises that the delivery of a sustainable nursing workforce is critical to the transformation of our health service; further notes the particular role of community services within the health and social care system; urges the Department of Health to involve the voice of nurses in the transformation of our health service; and calls on the Minister of Health immediately to prioritise the implementation and funding of the strategy to help retain nurses; and further calls on the Minister of Health to legislate for safe staffing as soon as possible and to develop a comprehensive workforce plan for nursing including a fair pay strategy, appropriate career progression opportunities and fair terms and conditions for all nursing staff.
| 01/07/2022 | Mr Colin McGrath |
| Private Members' Motion |
Support for Primary Care
That this Assembly recognises the critical role of primary care in the health and social care system; notes that primary care accounts for 95 percent of the care patients that will need throughout their lives; acknowledges that many people struggle to access services easily due to the unsustainable pressures faced by GPs; appreciates the need to tackle these unsustainable pressures through greater investment; further recognises the need to improve the recruitment, retention and training of GPs; supports the rollout of the multidisciplinary team model that has been shown to improve patient care and outcomes; calls on the Department of Health to increase investment in primary care; further calls on the Minister of Health to ensure thorough and transparent workforce planning; and calls on the Executive to ensure that the necessary funding and resources are put in place to improve the physical and digital infrastructure of primary care.
| 01/07/2022 | Mr Colin McGrath |
| Private Members' Motion |
Cervical Screening Awareness Week
That this Assembly notes that the week commencing 20 June 2022 is Cervical Screening Awareness Week; recognises that cervical screening can save lives and help prevent cervical cancer; understands that almost one in three women currently do not take up their screening appointment when invited; appreciates that cervical screening is not easy for everyone and that barriers can include pain, embarrassment and experience of trauma; believes that cervical screening should be accessible for everyone who is eligible; highlights that Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust provide information, tips, and support for anyone who needs them; and calls on all Members to support this important week.
| 16/06/2022 | Ms Sinéad McLaughlin |
| Private Members' Motion |
Childcare Strategy
That this Assembly notes the urgent need for a childcare strategy to deliver more affordable, accessible, sustainable and good quality childcare; further notes the importance of a childcare strategy in progressing early years education, supporting child development and addressing disadvantage; recognises the importance of affordable and accessible childcare in supporting parents, in particular women, to remain in, or return to, work, and the benefits that this has for working families, tackling childhood poverty, and strengthening our economy; further recognises the contribution of the childcare sector, childminders and early learning professionals who educate and care for our children, support parents and help to grow our economy; and calls on the Minister of Education to prioritise completion of the current review of childcare provision and urgently to commission the planned research required to inform the early and urgent delivery of an effective and fit-for-purpose childcare strategy.
| 06/06/2022 | Miss Nicola Brogan; Mr Pat Sheehan; Mrs Cathy Mason |
| Private Members' Motion |
Cultural Celebrations
That this Assembly endorses the recommendations of Chapter 9 of the report of the Commission on Flags, Identity, Culture and Tradition; recognises the role the arts can play in the conservation and preservation of our heritage; notes the importance of being able to appraise the direct, indirect and induced costs and benefits of cultural celebrations in the public space; and calls on the Minister for Communities to develop a standardised approach for all local councils to follow in the organisation and stewardship of public events.
| 06/06/2022 | Ms Paula Bradshaw; Mr John Blair; Mr Peter McReynolds |
| Private Members' Motion |
Equality Act
That this Assembly believes that equality legislation in Northern Ireland is currently outdated and not reflective of the diverse society we have become; further believes that Northern Ireland should have a single Equality Act that reflects the Equality Act 2010, which applies in Great Britain, as well as the particular circumstances of Northern Ireland and the developments in social policy and recognition since the 2010 Act; condemns ongoing incidents of hate crime of all kinds, including transphobic hate crime; and calls on the First Minister and deputy First Minister to develop a consultation with a view to the passage of a single Equality Act for Northern Ireland during the current Assembly mandate.
| 06/06/2022 | Ms Paula Bradshaw; Mr John Blair; Mr Peter McReynolds |
| Private Members' Motion |
Good Relations in Law
That this Assembly endorses the recommendations in Chapter 3 of the report of the Commission on Flags, Identity, Culture and Tradition; and calls on the First Minister and deputy First Minister to bring forward proposals, working alongside Executive colleagues, to define the legal duty of good relations in law, with the reduction of hate crime as a key objective of that duty.
| 06/06/2022 | Ms Paula Bradshaw; Mr John Blair; Mr Peter McReynolds |
| Private Members' Motion |
Recognition of our Diverse Cultural Heritage
That this Assembly endorses the recommendations of Chapter 5 of the report of the Commission on Flags, Identity, Culture and Tradition; notes that recognition of our diverse cultural heritage should be a key and shared element of our education system; emphasises that a key part of school inspection should be the delivery of the curriculum to build mutual understanding; and calls on the Minister of Education to bring forward proposals to review the curriculum to ensure that every child learns the key markers of the three traditional strands of Ulster identity as well as those of immigrant communities.
| 01/06/2022 | Ms Paula Bradshaw; Mr John Blair; Mr Peter McReynolds |
| Private Members' Motion |
Social Enterprise Strategy for Northern Ireland
That this Assembly confirms its commitment to developing the benefits of the social economy; and calls on the Minister for the Economy to bring forward a social enterprise strategy for Northern Ireland.
| 01/06/2022 | Mr Stewart Dickson; Ms Kellie Armstrong; Mr Peter McReynolds; Mr Danny Donnelly |
| Private Members' Motion |
Decision of the International Gymnastics Federation to Ban Three Athletes from Northern Ireland from competing in the 2022 Commonwealth Games
That this Assembly deplores the decision of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) to ban three athletes from Northern Ireland from competing in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham; acknowledges that this ban includes the defending pommel-horse gold-medallist Rhys McClenaghan; affirms the athletes' right to define their identity as British, Irish or both, in accordance with the 1998 Agreement; reminds FIG that the Agreement is a binding international treaty; and calls on FIG to reverse its decision with immediate effect.
| 30/05/2022 | Mr Mike Nesbitt; Mr Alan Chambers; Mr Robbie Butler |
| Private Members' Motion |
Additional Resources for the Supporting People Programme
That this Assembly notes with concern the significant pressure that soaring energy costs and increases in the overall cost of living is placing on providers delivering the Supporting People programme; and calls on the Minister for Communities to work with her Executive colleagues to explore every avenue to secure additional resources for the Supporting People programme which provides vital housing support to vulnerable people.
| 25/05/2022 | Mr Andy Allen MBE; Mr Robbie Butler; Mr Alan Chambers; Dr Steve Aiken OBE |
| Private Members' Motion |
Paid Menstrual Leave
That this Assembly acknowledges the recent progress made by the Spanish government in introducing paid medical leave for women who suffer from severe period pain; further acknowledges that paid menstrual leave has been in place for a number of years in other countries around the world, such as Japan and South Korea; recognises the impact that period pain can have on women’s participation in the workforce; notes recent progress made in the last mandate with the introduction of free period products for all; and calls on the Minister for the Economy to introduce paid menstrual leave in Northern Ireland.
| 24/05/2022 | Ms Sinéad McLaughlin |
| Private Members' Motion |
Cost of Living Crisis
That this Assembly notes with concern the sustained increase in the cost of living; recognises the adverse impact this is having on individuals and families across Northern Ireland; and calls on the Minister for Communities, working with her Executive colleagues, to bring forward a wide-ranging package of support measures, and to establish a fuel poverty taskforce to develop short, medium, and longer-term interventions for individuals and families impacted by the cost of living crisis.
| 23/05/2022 | Mr Andy Allen MBE; Mr Robbie Butler; Dr Steve Aiken OBE |
| Private Members' Motion |
Holiday Hunger
That this Assembly notes with grave concern the recent Joseph Roundtree Foundation report, Poverty in Northern Ireland 2022, which estimates that 110,000 children are living in poverty; further notes that due to the absence of a functioning Northern Ireland Executive, funding to provide payments to prevent holiday hunger for 98,000 children over the summer period is not in place; recognises that due to the significant rise in the cost of living, families are being pushed beyond the brink; and calls on the Minister of Education to provide an update on the steps her Department is taking to tackle holiday hunger.
| 20/05/2022 | Mr Robbie Butler; Mr Andy Allen MBE |
| Private Members' Motion |
Green New Deal Bill
That this Assembly recognises that tackling the climate crisis requires an investment-led, green recovery that delivers on social and economic justice and rapidly decarbonises our economy; and calls on the Executive to deliver a Green New Deal Bill, which will introduce legally binding targets in line with the UK’s commitment to stay within 1.5 degrees of global heating, reverse inequality, protect and restore nature and the environment, implement new measures of progress that prioritise human and ecological wellbeing, change the way the Assembly manages the local economy to enable unprecedented investment in the Green New Deal, end any plans to license new fossil fuel exploration, establish an action plan to transform Northern Ireland’s energy supply, transport system, farming, land management, homes, buildings, green spaces and the way of working, creating thousands green jobs across Northern Ireland; and further calls on the Executive to involve communities, trade unions and workers in the development of the plan, ensuring a just transition by prioritising investment in communities excluded from full participation in the economy as well as those working in high-emitting sectors, and to advance global justice by supporting financial and technological assistance for the global South and by promoting the Green New Deal globally.
| 18/05/2022 | Mr John Blair; Ms Kate Nicholl; Miss Nuala McAllister; Mr Eóin Tennyson |
| Private Members' Motion |
Independent Environmental Protection Agency
That this Assembly recognises that we face a climate and ecological crisis and that Northern Ireland's unique natural environment is under significant threat; calls on the Executive to deliver on an existing and outstanding New Decade, New Approach commitment to have an independent Environmental Protection Agency in Northern Ireland; and further calls on the Executive to address gaps in our environmental governance and enforcement, exposed by our departure from the European Union, which present serious consequences for our already critically damaged ecosystems.
| 18/05/2022 | Mr John Blair; Ms Kate Nicholl; Miss Nuala McAllister; Mr Eóin Tennyson |
| Private Members' Motion |
Cost of Living Crisis
That this Assembly recognises the huge burden on workers and families as a result of the cost of living crisis; notes that the average annual gas bill has more than doubled over the past year, while electricity, oil and fuel prices have also soared; further recognises the impact on businesses of soaring energy and material costs which put jobs at risk; calls for the immediate formation of an Executive in order to allocate the £334 million funding, putting money into the pockets of workers, families, businesses and farmers, and for a budget to be agreed; and further calls on the British government to take meaningful action to help those struggling with rising costs, by placing a windfall tax on big energy corporations profiting from this crisis with funding redirected towards supports, and by cutting fuel duty and VAT on energy and fuel for the duration of this crisis.
| 17/05/2022 | Dr Caoimhe Archibald; Mr John O'Dowd; Mrs Ciara Ferguson |
| Private Members' Motion |
Funding our Health Service
That this Assembly notes with grave concern the increasing pressures across our healthcare system; further notes the growing waiting lists for services, the impact on patients and their families, and the pressures on staff; recognises the limitations of single year budgets for the provision and planning of services; further recognises the chronic shortage of health and social care workers and the impact this is having on services; welcomes the cross-party commitment to prioritise health; further welcomes the draft multi-year budget committing an extra £1 billion to health, including funding for the Cancer Strategy, the Mental Health Strategy and Elective Care Framework; urges all parties to fulfil their commitment to the rebuilding and transformation of health services, by re-establishing the Executive, agreeing a multi-year budget and providing essential support for health and social care staff through the cost of living crisis.
| 17/05/2022 | Mr Colm Gildernew; Miss Órlaithí Flynn; Ms Carál Ní Chuilín |
| Private Members' Motion |
United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
That this Assembly is committed to achieving an inclusive society that values the contribution and supports the full participation of people with disabilities; acknowledges the right of people with disabilities to live independently, to work and to socialise; recognises the diversity of disabilities that exist within our society; further recognises that, without a Bill of Rights, without an Equality Act, and with the loss of EU protections, people with disabilities suffer from vast inequalities and struggle with the lack of accessibility in public spaces; recognises that the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the extent of this inequality; accepts that Executive Departments must identify and mitigate adverse impacts on people with disabilities when making policies; further acknowledges the need for data from Departments to be disaggregated by Section 75 characteristics; supports the incorporation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities into local legislation to tackle these inequalities; and calls on an incoming Executive to ensure, as a matter of urgency, the incorporation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities into local legislation.
| 17/05/2022 | Mr Pádraig Delargy; Miss Órlaithí Flynn; Ms Emma Sheerin |
| Private Members' Motion |
Tackling Hate Crime
That this Assembly recognises that existing hate crime legislation is outdated and not fit for purpose, and that its implementation has failed victims, communities and society; notes the most recent PSNI statistics demonstrating a year-on-year increase in racist, sectarian, homophobic, transphobic, disability, and religious incidents and crimes; commends the independent Review of Hate Crime Legislation carried out by Judge Desmond Marrinan; further notes previous political commitments in Together: Building a United Community and New Decade, New Approach to tackle sectarianism, to define sectarianism in law and to give sectarianism legal expression as a hate crime; is committed to achieving a society that is diverse, inclusive, based on equality and respect, and free from discrimination; and calls for the immediate restoration of the Executive to allow a new Minister of Justice to introduce, as a priority, a hate crime bill based on international best practice to implement a new model of hate crime, a new statutory definition of sectarianism recognising sectarianism as a hate crime, and new offences to tackle misogyny.
| 16/05/2022 | Ms Aisling Reilly; Mrs Cathy Mason; Mr Pádraig Delargy |