Jim Allister's Functioning of Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill completes the further consideration stage
Minister Edwin Poots made a statement on a recent north-south meeting regarding agricultural issues
The Harbours Bill reached the further consideration stage
Minister for Communities, Deirdre Hargey, appeared in the chamber for Question Time
Image source, NI AssemblySinn Féin's Philip McGuigan says his party will support many of the amendments in group two.
He says "this bill is unnecessary and indeed could actually work to constrain the work of government".
Mr McGuigan says he and his fellow North Antrim MLA, Mr Allister, have agreed and worked together on many occasions on constituency matters.
“The more transparent we can be, the better it is for good government,” says Paul Frew.
The DUP MLA for North Antrim adds “it is important that we enhance the requirements of scrutiny in this place, whether that be this assembly or committee structures”.
“Recording keeping is also critical to transparency and scrutiny,” says Mr Frew.
Image source, NI Assembly“When we make mistakes, we have to be honest, we have to upfront,” says the MLA.
“My party supports reform in these areas, in fact, we always have, it’s been in countless manifestos.”
“This is a very consistent approach for my party to take.”
Image source, NI AssemblyFinance Committee chair Steve Aiken says he will be addressing clause 13, amendments 44 to 47.
He says the committee was unable to examine the clause as it was introduced after the committee stage.
The clause touches on matters including departmental engagement with committees and transparency.
"Amendment 45 would do away with that openness, transparency and accountability by removing the requirement for departments to share information with their committees prior to submitting their returns to the Committee of Finance," he says.
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Image source, NI AssemblyConor Murphy, the Finance Minister, is back on his feet in the chamber to move the second group of amendments relating to the bill.
These deal with the role of minister and administrative matters in departments.
Mr Murphy reiterates his “belief that this legislation is unnecessary”, as he says it would “increase bureaucracy and reduce the scope to operate on the basis of professional judgement and good sense”.
He says the legislation will make governments “more defensive than responsive and therefore I cannot support the legislation”.
Julian O'Neill
BBC News NI Home Affairs Correspondent
Justice Minister Naomi Long has said finding money to pay for the Troubles pension is not beyond the capability of the executive and UK government.
Speaking at the Justice Committee, the minister said the scheme remains on track to open applications in March.
There is currently an ongoing row over who should fund a victims' payment scheme.
Image source, PacemakerNaomi Long told MLAs, "I want to know if people apply there is money there to pay".
The Alliance leader said she did not want to let victims down.
The minister told MLAs that an estimate of £800m for the scheme was the "upper limit" of the projected cost, but that the Executive Office was working on a more accurate estimate.
Image source, NI AssemblyThe members now return to their debate on the further consideration stage of the Functioning of Government Bill.
Principal Deputy Speaker Christopher Stalford begins to take the members through the votes on the amendments contained in group one.
Amendments 1 to 17 pass unopposed.
Here’s a brief summary of what you need to know from Question Time with the communities minister:
It’s now time for 15 minutes of Topical Questions.
Mike Nesbitt of the UUP asks the minister for an update on the Sports Sustainability Fund.
It was launched “just before Christmas” in response to Covid-19, says the minister.
It closes tomorrow, and Deirdre Hargey hopes there will be a “quick turnaround” in the processing of applications.
“There will be a huge demand for this,” adds the minister.
Image source, NI AssemblySinn Féin’s Cathal Boylan asks the minister what support her department will be providing to the Belfast Multicultural Association following a fire at the premises last week.
The minister describes it as “devastating” and says she went to the site on Friday.
“I have liaised over the weekend with members of the association,” says Ms Hargey.
“With this attack, there has obviously been a rise in fears.”
Image source, NI AssemblyWill there be any measures in the revised welfare mitigations to prevent the continued application of the two-child limit, asks Alliance’s Paula Bradshaw.
The minister says she’s working on an announcement on how the review will be taken forward.
“Details of the review will be shared with the Committee for Communities” as soon as possible, adds Deirdre Hargey.
While she can’t go into the fine detail of the review, the minister makes MLAs aware that the two-child limit will be one area that will be looked at.
“I recognise that children living in poverty are subject to poorer outcomes,” says the minster, adding that “I want to look at how we can close those gaps”.
What’s happening in relation to the JobStart scheme, asks Alliance MLA Andrew Muir.
It was due to be launched on 14 December, says the minister, but it’s been paused due to the need for funding approval.
Deirdre Hargey say the “current regulations” have also had an impact, as the message has been to encourage people to “stay at home”.
“I’m continuing to engage with finance and executive colleagues,” says the communities minister.
Image source, NI Assembly“Rather than JobStart, it’s more like non-start,” says Mr Muir.
What bids did the department seek in relation to the programme?
“The delays are around financial commitments,” says the minister, adding “I completely understand the frustrations”.
Ms Hargey says the programme is something she is committed to delivering.
“What preparations have been made for the reopening of museums?”
That’s the question from DUP MLA Harry Harvey.
“Preparations are underway for the reopening of museums,” replies the minister.
Deirdre Hargey says all openings will take place in line with Covid-19 guidance.
Mr Harvey asks the minister if she’d consider “progressing a proposed development of a much needed historic motor exhibition centre in a forest park in Newry, Mourne and Down Council area?”
Ms Hargey says she’s not aware of any such request, but she welcomes the member to bring forward more information and she’ll take a look at it.
Image source, NI AssemblyHow much money have museums received to support them throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, asks Pat Sheehan.
“National museums have received an addition £1.22m in resources from the department” replies Mr Sheehan’s party colleague, Ms Hargey.
The NI museums council has worked with the Arts Council, she says, “to the value of £50,000” for local museums.
John Blair of Alliance asks when the minister will “publish her response to the recommendations of the Second Independent Review of the Personal Independence Payment Assessment Process”.
The review was received in December, replies Deirdre Hargey.
Officials are considering the recommendations in the report, and will publish a form response in the spring of this year,” says the minister for communities.
In response to a supplementary question from Mr Blair, the minister says there are 12 recommendations in the report.
Image source, NI AssemblyUUP MLA Robbie Butler asks for an update on the department’s work on “special rules around terminal illness”.
Deirdre Hargey says this issue “has been raised at the executive” and that there is “broad support” that it should be changed as soon as possible.
The minister says she will "update members” on further movement.
Before starting Question Time, Christopher Stalford, the principal deputy speaker welcomes the minister for communities back after her illness.
Sinead McLaughlin of the SDLP then kick starts questions.
She asks Deirdre Hargey “to outline her plans to reduce the number of children living in poverty”.
Minister Hargey thanks members for their “well wishes”.
Turning to the question, the minister says the current strategy has been extended to May 2022.
The hope is that it will “allow time for further engagement with the anti-poverty expert panel,” says the minister.
Image source, NI AssemblyKaren Mullan, the minister’s Sinn Féin colleague, asks for more detail on how young people will be included in the development of the anti-poverty strategy.
The minister met with the NI Youth Forum last week, and says there is an ongoing engagement with organisations who work on wider issues around poverty.
“I want to directly hear the voices of young people,” she adds, and says she is looking at ways in which this can be done.
We're back from lunch and it's now time for Question Time.
It takes place during plenary sessions every Monday and Tuesday.
It's an opportunity for members to questions ministers about the work of their departments.
There are usually two slots during each Question Time session, but today, there is one.
Thirty minutes will be spent on Listed Questions, with a further 15 allocated to Topical Questions.
Today it's the turn of the Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey. It's her first appear in the chamber following an extended period of illness.
The Business Committee meets every Tuesday lunchtime to agree next week's assembly agenda so the members' break for lunch.
We'll be back at 14:00 for Question Time with Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey, following which MLAs will return to their debate on the Functioning of Government Bill.
Do join us then.
Image source, NI AssemblyFinance Minister Conor Murphy wraps on the group one amendments.
"I think there is a fundamental misunderstanding of my own role as a minister and thereby the role of the department in relation to a private member's bill," Mr Murphy says.
"I absolutely encourage all private members to bring forward legislation," he adds.
The minister says he was tasked to bring about significant reform of the codes at the time of the resumption of the executive.
He says that he opposed the bill up until the vote at consideration stage but now "we have responsibility to try and fix what the assembly have voted through at consideration stage, which is bad legislation".
He says he still believes the bill is "not necessary and wrong".
It’s now time for the bill sponsor, Jim Allister, to make comments about the amendments being discussed.
“I’m big enough to take the churlish jibes of Mr O’Dowd, recognising the sense of embarrassment and discomfort amongst the ranks of Sinn Féin,” says the TUV leader.
Image source, NI Assembly“I think Sinn Féin’s biggest problem isn’t just with the messenger, which causes them not to look at the message, but probably continuing to smart over the fact that my first private members’ bill removed from office, convicted terrorists as Spads,” says Mr Allister.
Image source, NI AssemblyJim Wells, the DUP MLA who has had the party whip removed, is a member of the Finance Committee.
"I have never seen a more negative approach by any party, in any committee in my time in this building," the veteran politician says, referring to Sinn Féin.
Mr Wells notes that Finance Minister Conor Murphy has brought forward amendments "at the 11th hour".
"If Mr Allister stands up and says 'crows are black', Sinn Féin immediately say 'it's a plot to bring down this assembly, crows must be white'," says Mr Wells.
Troubles victims are "outraged" by an ongoing row over who should fund a victims' payment scheme, a group which represents them has said.
Alan McBride from Wave Trauma Centre said the NI Executive and UK government had treated victims "disgracefully".
On Monday, Stormont's finance minister said it was up to the UK government "to provide the necessary funding".
But the UK government has insisted the executive is responsible for funding the scheme from its block grant.