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NI Assembly: What to Watch this Week

MONDAY

📍Finance Question Time
📍Motion: Banning the Use of Adverse Training Tools

TUESDAY

📍Health Question Time
📍Consideration Stage of the Justice Bill

WEDNESDAY

📍Finance Minister briefing the Finance Committee

The full Business Diary can be found here: https://t.co/olgqJRjtjP

[Connect Belfast @ConnectBelfast]

The Week that Was - 29.05.26

📍The Executive published the Programme for Government (PfG) Annual Report on Wednesday of this week with the First and deputy First Minister saying that the report “demonstrates the tangible progress that has been made towards the nine PfG priorities across the Executive.”

📍Leader of the Opposition Matthew O’Toole MLA described the Report as “anaemic” and said it is evidence that “Sinn Féin and the DUP have given up even pretending to govern together.” He said there are “generalised descriptions of intention and effort rather than specific actions, let alone improved outcomes.”

📍Patsy McGlone MLA has confirmed that he will not be running in the 2027 Assembly Election. The SDLP MLA for Mid Ulster has served in the Assembly since 2003 and said “there’s a time for just stepping aside, to go on with other things in your life and allow someone else to take over.”

[Connect Belfast @ConnectBelfast]

NI Assembly: What to Watch this Week

TUESDAY

📍TEO Question Time
📍Hunting with Dogs Bill: Second Stage

WEDNESDAY

📍Infrastructure Committee receiving oral evidence on the SuDS Bill and Transport Strategy
📍Education Committee receiving briefings on the Irish Medium Education Bill and the Holiday Meal Payments Bill

THURSDAY

📍Committee for Health briefing from the Department on the Stroke Action Plan and from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine

The full Business diary can be found here: https://t.co/olgqJRjtjP

[Connect Belfast @ConnectBelfast]

The Week that Was - 22.05.26

📍Chancellor Rachel Reeves MP updated the House of Commons on Thursday on the Government’s response to the war in Iran, announcing measures aimed at supporting people with the cost of living. Dubbed the “Great British Summer Savings Scheme” Reeves announced a temporary reduction in VAT at summer attractions from 20% to 5% as well as a reduction in the cost of children’s meals from 20% to 5% in restaurants and cafés.

📍The Finance Committee agreed to seek further information from the Department of Finance on contingency planning given the lack of agreement on a multi-year Budget to date. Justice Minister Naomi Long MLA also said this week that the lack of an agreed Budget has placed her Department in a “crisis situation” and that if agreed, the proposed multi-year Budget would mean a shortfall of £100m in the first year.

📍It is also reported that Finance Minister John O’Dowd MLA met with Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn MP on Thursday to discuss the Budget. A spokesperson for the UK Government said “the Government is clear that the Executive needs to come forward with a detailed, strategic plan for how it will manage its finances and move towards sustainability."

[Connect Belfast @ConnectBelfast]

NI Assembly: What to Watch this Week

MONDAY

📍Opposition Day Motions on ‘Change on these Islands’ and ‘Introducing
📍AERA + Communities Question Time

TUESDAY

📍Economy Question Time

WEDNESDAY

📍Infrastructure Committee receiving oral evidence from Translink on its draft Budget
📍Finance Committee briefing from the Head of the Civil Service

THURSDAY

📍Committee for Communities briefing from Housing Rights

The full Business diary can be found here: https://t.co/olgqJRjtjP

[Connect Belfast @ConnectBelfast]

The Week that Was - 15.05.26

📍Last weekend, results from elections across the UK saw Plaid Cymru take control of the Senedd, the SNP win the largest number of seats in Holyrood, and Reform gain 1,452 local council seats in England. It marks the first time that all three First Ministers of the devolved nations come from Nationalist parties.

📍After much speculation, Wes Streeting MP resigned as Health Secretary on Thursday. Makerfield MP Josh Simons announced on Thursday that he would resigning as MP to allow current Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to run in any upcoming by-election. This is viewed as a pathway for Burnham to re-enter Parliament and to then launch a leadership challenge if he is elected.

📍First Minister Michelle O’Neill MLA was in London with a Sinn Féin delegation. She described the week as “melodrama” and said people at home are left wondering where the support is for cost of living. She said they are engaged with the Treasury to set an Executive budget and that the conversation around “breaking the link from Westminster is very acute" given election results at the weekend.

[Connect Belfast @ConnectBelfast]

NI Assembly: What to Watch this Week

MONDAY

📍Finance Committee Motion on ‘Report on the 2026-29/30 Draft Budget’
📍Infrastructure Question Time

TUESDAY

📍Justice Question Time
📍Sinn Féin Motion on ‘Strengthening Homecare Provision’

WEDNESDAY

📍Infrastructure Committee receiving oral evidence from the Department on developer contributions for wastewater infrastructure

*Many Committees are attending the Balmoral Show this week so will not be holding formal meetings.

The full Business diary can be found here: https://t.co/olgqJRjtjP

[Connect Belfast @ConnectBelfast]

The Week that Was - 08.05.26

📍Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD visited Belfast this week where he held talks with the main party leaders and with Speaker of the Assembly Edwin Poots MLA.

📍During talks with the Taoiseach, many of the parties focused on legacy given the Supreme Court ruling on the 2023 Legacy Act delivered on Thursday. Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald TD said they have been given assurances that there will be “absolute vigilance” from the Irish Government in relation to legacy. DUP Leader Gavin Robinson MP said it is “disgraceful and unjustified” for the Irish Government to challenge the UK Government’s approach to legacy whilst not addressing its own role.

📍The Northern Ireland Fiscal Council Bill passed through Consideration Stage this week. Five amendments had been tabled to the Bill, with some suggesting the Council could examine the cost of duplicating services in Northern Ireland.

[Connect Belfast @ConnectBelfast]

NI Assembly: What to Watch this Week

TUESDAY

📍Health Question Time
📍Consideration Stage of NI Fiscal Council Bill

WEDNESDAY

📍Permanent Secretary briefing TEO Committee

THURSDAY

📍Post Anti-Poverty Strategy consultation update at the Committee for Communities
📍Permanent Secretary briefing on the Neighbourhood Scheme at the Health Committee

The full Business diary can be found here: https://t.co/olgqJRjtjP

[Connect Belfast @ConnectBelfast]

The Week that Was – 01.05.26

📍The British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference met at Hillsborough Castle on Thursday with UK Government representatives including the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn MP and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Matthew Patrick MP. Meeting with Irish Government Ministers Helen McEntee TD and Jim O’Callaghan TD, discussions focused around legacy, political stability, security and wider British-Irish cooperation on energy security and cross-border working.

📍The BBC is reporting that the Department of Finance has now issued guidance to other Departmental officials on how to manage spending without an agreed budget. The guidance is said to advise safe spending on previous commitments and on areas that have already secured funding from the UK Government. A budget has not been agreed by the Executive for the 2026-2029 period.

📍Kellie Armstrong MLA also confirmed at the end of last week that she would not be running in the 2027 Assembly Election saying that she had been thinking of retiring “for a while” but that she would continue to serve her Strangford constituents until the Assembly is dissolved.

[Connect Belfast @ConnectBelfast]

NI Assembly: What to Watch this Week

MONDAY

📍First Stage of the Hunting with Dogs Bill
📍Motion on Bovine Tuberculosis

TUESDAY

📍Second Stage of the Utility Regulator (Support for Decarbonisation Preparation) Bill
📍Finance Question Time

THURSDAY

📍Committee for Communities briefing from the Permanent Secretary and senior officials

The full Business Diary can be found here: https://t.co/olgqJRjtjP

[Connect Belfast @ConnectBelfast]

Looking to Scottish and Welsh elections in May and mirroring comments by SNP leader John Swinney, McDonald said

“Upcoming elections might return pro-independence First Ministers in Scotland and Wales.

Fingers crossed. The Union is under pressure.”

@sinnfeinireland @theSNP

[Connect Belfast @ConnectBelfast]

Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald reiterates calls to the Irish Government for an emergency budget. To include:

📍Substantial cut to excise.
📍Electricity credits worth €400.
📍A €500 cost of disability payment.
📍Additional support for social welfare.
📍Permanent cut to USC.

@sinnfeinireland

[Connect Belfast @ConnectBelfast]

We are at the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis this weekend in Belfast, the first time the party have returned to the city for their conference since 2018

@sinnfeinireland