This week at the Assembly - 18 February

Monday 18 February 2008

Questions to the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister

Sinn Féin’s Caral Ní Chuilín will ask the Minister to detail the steps his Office is taking to support (i) the work on interface areas; and (ii) initiatives that will divert and challenge the potential for interface violence.

Alliance Leader David Ford will ask the Minister what progress his Office has made in implementing a programme of cohesion and integration for a shared future.

Mervyn Storey (DUP) will ask the Minister to provide a breakdown of the amount of funding allocated to victims' groups, broken down by those from (i) an army background; (ii) a police background; (iii) a prison officer background; (iv) an ex-prisoner background; and (v) a civilian background; in each of the last three years.

South Down MLA P J Bradley will ask the Minister to provide (i) an update on the review of the Civic Forum; and (ii) a date for its completion.

Jennifer McCann (Sinn Féin) will ask the Minister to detail the role of his Office in the Inter-Ministerial Sub-Committee on suicide prevention.

The DUP’s David Simpson will ask the Minister what measures are in place to ensure equality in relation to community relations funding.

Claire McGill (West Tyrone) will ask the Minister to detail (i) the scale of child poverty in (a) Omagh District Council area; and (b) Strabane District Council area; and (ii) the particular characteristics of child poverty in West Tyrone; and to outline the strategies that are aimed at eradicating child poverty in West Tyrone.

Gerry Adams (Sinn Féin) will ask the Ministers to detail their proposals for taking forward the West Belfast and Greater Shankill Taskforce Report 2002.

Upper Bann MLA John O'Dowd will ask the Ministers to detail the programmes their Office will deliver to enhance understanding between the Travelling and Settled communities.

Allan Bresland (DUP) will ask the Minister to outline the progress made in delivering funding under the Victims and Survivors Scheme, through the Community Relations Council, for the financial year 2008/2009.

The UUP’s Danny Kennedy will ask the Minister to outline the action his Office is taking in relation to the process of revision of the Programme for Government and Investment Strategy, as agreed by resolution in the Assembly on 28 January 2008.

Sinn Féin’s Michelle O'Neill will ask the Minister what action his Office is taking to improve the lives of people with a disability.

Dr Stephen Farry (Alliance) will ask the Ministers to outline their intentions in relation to the implementation of a comprehensive strategic approach to Victims and Survivors.

Newry and Armagh MLA Mickey Brady will ask the Ministers to outline the interim arrangements to be put in place, prior to the appointment of an Older Person's Commissioner, in order to ensure that work in this area is not neglected.

Finally, the UUP’s Billy Armstrong will ask the Minister to detail (i) when the Executive Sub-Committee on Children's Issues will be set up; and (ii) how often it will meet.

Questions to the Minister for the Environment

Mickey Brady (Sinn Féin) will ask the Minister to detail the number of applications for planning permission, received from the Department for Social Development, in relation to social housing, broken down by Divisional Planning Office.

The DUP’s Nelson McCausland will ask the Minister to outline her plans to (i) review the criteria under which buildings of historic and architectural significance are listed; and (ii) take account of the criteria used in other parts of the United Kingdom, as part of this review.

North Down MLA Alex Easton will ask the Minister to provide an update on her plans to develop conservation schemes for endangered species and, in particular, her plans to protect red squirrels.

Mervyn Storey (DUP) will ask the Minister to provide an update on the timeframe for the implementation of the Review of Public Administration. Later the UUP’s Sam Gardiner and the SDLP’s PJ Bradley will ask the Minister questions in relation to the number of Councils planned under the RPA. Finally, Carmel Hanna (SDLP) will ask the Minister what assessment has she made of the willingness of departments to transfer functions to local government under the Review of Public Administration.

Sinn Féin’s Francie Molloy will ask the Minister what plans she has to extend the 'blue bin' facility to encourage commercial recycling.

Dominic Bradley (SDLP) will ask the Minister, further to her Assembly statement on 25 October 2007, to confirm that draft Planning Policy Statement 14 will be published within the given timescale.

South Antrim MLA Thomas Burns will ask the Minister to provide an update on initiatives she is taking to ensure that private sector developers make a greater contribution to the provision of social and affordable housing.

Pat Ramsey (Foyle) will ask the Minister what plans she has to implement a fast-tracking system for progressing major social and affordable housing scheme applications through the existing planning system.

Questions to the Minister for Finance and Personnel

Fra McCann (Sinn Féin) will ask the Minister to detail the top twenty most deprived wards, according to the index of multiple deprivation.

The UUP’s Danny Kennedy will ask the Minister to confirm whether or not there has been a delay in the schedule to deliver Peace III funding; and to outline the plans he has to assist those projects that were previously assisted through Peace II funding and which may be eligible under Peace III. Later Sinn Féin’s Caral Ní Chuilín will ask the Minister to detail the action he is taking to ensure that Peace III funds will be delivered to groups within the voluntary and community sector as soon as possible.

P J Bradley (SDLP) will ask the Minister to detail the number of occasions that he has held bilateral meetings with the Minister for Regional Development to discuss water reform and rates reform.

David Burnside (UUP) will ask the Minister to detail the contingency plans that are in place in relation to those departments that fail to meet their efficiency targets, in the present three year budgetary cycle.

Lagan Valley MLA Paul Butler will ask the Minister to detail the number of Irish language speakers, according to the last census, who 'speak, read, write and understand Irish'.

Motions for Debate

Roads Maintenance Funding
UUP MLAs John McCallister, Fred Cobain and Tom Elliott have proposed a joint motion: “That this Assembly calls on the Minister for Regional Development to review roads maintenance funding and to ensure that sufficient funding will be made available in line with the Roads Service structural maintenance funding plan.”

Tuesday 19 February 2008

Motions for Debate

Tourism

Sinn Féin MLAs Paul Maskey and Willie Clarke have proposed a joint motion: “That this Assembly calls on the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment to bring forward plans to develop tourist infrastructure, particularly in areas of social need, and to recognise the significant potential of political tourism.”

Conductive Education

Dominic Bradley (SDLP), Basil McCrea (UUP), George Savage (UUP) Trevor Lunn (Alliance), and Francie Molloy (Sinn Féin) have proposed a joint motion: “That this Assembly supports conductive education and commends the Buddy Bear School, Dungannon, to the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister and the Minister of Education for financial support and assistance.”

Adjournment

Health provision in Larne (Alastair Ross)

Committee Business

Click here to see full the Assembly Committee Business Diary including times and venues.

Tuesday 19 February 2008

1.30pm - Agriculture and Rural Development Committee

Wednesday 20 February 2008

10.00am - Finance and Personnel Committee
2.00pm - Committee for the OFMDFM
2.00pm - Employment and Learning Committee (Omagh)
2.00pm - Regional Development Committee (Netherlands)
2.00pm - Health, Social Services and Public Safety Committee (Dublin)

Thursday 21 February 2008

10.00am - Culture, Arts and Leisure Committee
10.30am - Enterprise, Trade and Investment Committee
10.30am - Social Development Committee
10.30am - Environment Committee

Friday 22 February 2008

10.30am - Education Committee