Upcoming at the Assembly - 14 January

Monday 14 January 2008

Questions to the Minister for Education

Sinn Féin Party Leader Gerry Adams will ask the Minister to outline the progress made on the implementation of the recommendations made by the West Belfast and Greater Shankill Taskforce Report in 2002 while party colleague Jennifer McCann will later ask the Minister to outline the levels of educational need in the area defined by the Taskforce Report.

Mid Ulster MLA Patsy McGlone will ask the Minister to confirm the date for the introduction of the Club Bank scheme for Irish medium education.

Jim Shannon (DUP) will ask the Minister, in light of the recent death of a primary year 2 pupil, what plans she has to introduce health checks in schools; and to confirm what facilities are in place to provide grief and trauma counselling for children within the schools system.

The Minister will then be asked a number of questions in relation to her recent decision to end academic selection.

The UUP’s David Burnside will ask the Minister what plans she has to assist children from areas of social deprivation to gain admission to grammar schools if academic selection for post-primary transfer is ended.

The SDLP’s Mary Bradley will ask the Minister what steps she is taking to ensure that her proposals for future post-primary transfer will (i) protect rural communities; and (ii) ensure that pupils do not travel excessive distances.

Sinn Féin’s Michelle O’Neill will ask the Minister to provide a breakdown of the percentage of pupils, in each Education and Library Board area, who were accepted into the grammar school of their choice in 2007.

George Savage (UUP) will ask the Minister to provide details of the legislative programme and framework through which she intends to introduce the changes to the education system announced to the Assembly on 4 December 2007.

Carmel Hanna (SDLP) will ask the Minister what measures she is taking to ensure that the post-primary transfer criteria of Community, Geographical and Family will be applied in a way that will avoid becoming a postcode lottery.

Sinn Féin MLA Cathal Boylan will ask the Minister to provide a timescale for the opening of the autism centre of excellence in Middletown; and to detail the age groups it will provide for.

Strangford MLA Kieran McCarthy will ask the Minister what is her assessment of the cost to parents of the introduction of the new curriculum and, in particular, the emphasis on independent living and developing life skills, for special needs children.

The Alliance Party’s Naomi Long will ask the Minister what plans she has to address the process of stalemating in relation to children with special educational needs, in order to provide more detailed guidance on the child's individual needs and therapy requirements.

Questions to the Minister for Employment and Learning

Paul Maskey (Sinn Féin) will ask the Minister what action he is taking to support the work of the Employment Services Board for West Belfast and the Greater Shankill area.

The Alliance Party’s Stephen Farry will ask the Minister to outline the timeframe for development and implementation of a higher education strategy.

Strangford MLA Kieran McCarthy will ask the Minister for his assessment of the future of lifelong learning in relation to the proposed ending of funding for the Workers' Educational Association, the Ulster People's College and the Educational Guidance Service for Adults. Party colleague Sean Neeson will later ask the Minister for his assessment of the future of lifelong learning under the strategy 'Further Education Means Business'.

Questions to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment

SDLP Party Leader Mark Durkan will ask the Minister for his assessment of the energy policy implications for the potential development of the new natural gas network, arising from the proposed loss of funding for the Housing Executive Heating Replacement Programme.

Motions for Debate

All Party Assembly Group on Children and Young People

The Assembly will debate an all Party motion jointly proposed by Roy Beggs (UUP), Mary Bradley (SDLP), Michelle McIlveen (DUP), Sue Ramsey (Sinn Féin), Naomi Long (Alliance) and Dawn Purvis (PUP) ‘‘That this Assembly notes the work of Professor Heckman and Mark Goldberg on government investment with young children; urges the Executive to take note of the outcomes from this work, and to invest in early intervention and prevention; and calls on the Executive to protect, maintain and further develop the investment that has been made in children and young people, through Executive Programme Funds, the Children and Young People’s Priority Funding Package, and the Supporting Families Package.”

Adjournment

Funding crisis for Enler Project, Ballybeen, debate proposed by Iris Robinson (DUP).

Tuesday 15 January 2008

Executive Committee Business

The Executive will discuss the Second Stage of the Charities Bill.

Motions for Debate

Agency Workers

Sinn Féin MLA Mitchel McLaughlin has proposed a motion: “That this Assembly calls on the Minister for Employment and Learning to take the necessary measures to protect agency workers, and to ensure that such workers are provided with the same statutory protections, regarding pay and conditions of employment, as the directly employed workforce.”

Committee Business

Click here to see full Assembly Committee Business Diary

Tuesday 15 January 2008

1.30pm - Agriculture and Rural Development Committee

Wednesday 16 January 2008

10.00am - Finance and Personnel Committee
10.30am - Regional Development Committee
10.30am - Employment and Learning Committee
2.00pm - Committee for the OFMDFM

Thursday 17 January 2008

10.30am - Environment Committee
10.30am - Enterprise, Trade and Investment Committee
10.30am - Culture, Arts and Leisure Committee
11.00am - Social Development Committee
2.30pm - Health, Social Services and Public Safety Committee

Friday 18 January 2008

10.30am - Education Committee