The first and deputy first minister outlined the Pathway Out of Restrictions Plan to MLAs in the House
MLAs discussed the death of Dennis Hutchings who died while on trial over a fatal shooting during the Troubles
Colin McGrath of the SDLP brought a Matter of the Day on delays in red flag cancer referrals for children in NI
Health Minister Robin Swann and Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey answered questions from members
Alliance MLAs brought a motion on the Stability of Institutions and Referral to the Assembly and Executive Review Committee
Sinn Féin brought a motion on the Impact of Department for Infrastructure Planning Guidance on Rural Communities
Joanne Bunting of the DUP brought this week's adjournment debate on Social Housing Need in East Belfast
Image source, Brian LawlessThe speaker then adjourns today’s plenary meeting which concludes today’s coverage of the NI Assembly.
We’ll be back tomorrow morning at 10:00 with live coverage of the Infrastructure and Executive Office Committees.
Until then, have a great evening.
Deirdre Hargey, the Communities Minister, says the issues in East Belfast “are the same where I live in the Markets, they’re the same in the north of the city, they're the same in Derry and Foyle and in other parts of the north as well”.
“I acknowledge there is a housing crisis,” says Ms Hargey, adding that part of the issue has been “decades of underinvestment”.
Image source, NI AssemblyThe minister says the department is looking at solutions to try and resolve the issue.
“Social housing is to the core of my programme and what I’m doing in the time ahead,” she adds.
Image source, NI AssemblyA number of MLAs from East Belfast make contributions.
Ulster Unionist Andy Allen says there are 45,000 people on housing waiting lists across NI.
He says the minister has acknowledged that NI "is in a housing crisis".
The DUP's Robin Newton pays tribute to local Housing Executive staff.
He says there is "a great stigma" for parents who become homeless.
"Housing is a human right," says Chris Lyttle of Alliance.
He says his party supports the idea of "an empty homes strategy".
Matthew O'Toole is an SDLP MLA representing the neighbouring constituency of South Belfast.
He says there is a real social housing crisis in East Belfast and "acute need across the city".
Image source, Bloomfield auctionsA walking stick once owned by Northern Ireland's first prime minister Sir James Craig is due to be auctioned in Belfast.
It is estimated that the blackthorn cane will sell for between £4,000 and £6,000 this afternoon.
It was presented to Sir James Craig in Lurgan in County Armagh in 1925.
The sale comes three weeks after the same auction house sold a stick that once belonged to Irish republican leader Michael Collins.
Image source, NI AssemblyThe final item of business on today’s agenda is the adjournment debate.
Today it’s brought by DUP MLA Joanne Bunting and relates to social housing need in her constituency of East Belfast.
Ms Bunting opens the debate.
“Day in and day out my office is contacted by constituents seeking housing support,” says Ms Bunting adding that the issue is the “biggest” in her case load.
"East Belfast has a housing crisis," she says, adding that there is not enough affordable housing stock "making it increasingly difficult for people to afford home ownership".
Image source, NI AssemblyDeclan McAleer winds on the debate.
The Sinn Féin MLA runs through some of the issues raised by other members, including points covered by the minister.
He says the believes there was a “rejection” of the planning action note issued by the department by most members in the chamber.
“In the vast majority of cases this is young couples who want to start life in the country,” says the MLA.
“We need people living in the countryside, we need them to sustain our schools and services.”
The motion passes on an oral vote.
Image source, NI AssemblyInfrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon replies to the debate.
She says that planning in the countryside has been and remains "the subject of healthy debate and discussion".
The minister outlines the importance of the Strategic Planning Policy Statement (SPPS).
This aims to manage development in a manner which is "a balance between protection of the environment from inappropriate development while supporting and sustaining rural communities," the minister says.
She says she is committed to ensuring that strategic planning policy is "fit for purpose going forward".
Image source, Ni AssemblyAndrew Muir of Alliance says a lot has changed since this debate was tabled.
He refers to the phenomenon of "bungalow blight" in Donegal.
He says planning and restrictions "are in place for the right reasons and that is to protect the environment".
Image source, NI AssemblyCara Hunter welcomes her SDLP colleague, Nichola Mallon’s decision to listen to constituents' and MLAs' concerns.
She adds that the infrastructure minister’s decision “shows a willingness to listen”.
“I am pleased today that our minister has not shied away from hard decisions,” she adds.
Image source, NI AssemblyRoy Beggs of the UUP says it would have been “much better if issues had been shared with everyone”.
“There does have to be balance,” says the MLA, adding there also should be “flexibility” in rural planning applications.
“This is an issue which I suspect will come back again,” adds Mr Beggs and references legislation coming forward relating to Climate Change.
Image source, NI AssemblyThe DUP's Jonathan Buckley says this is "a bizarre debate" where "we've already achieved the outcome".
He says he supports the sentiment of the motion.
Mr Buckley says the situation was no doubt an embarrassment for the Infrastructure Department.
He says it was an example of "strong cross-party working within the committee".
Image source, NI AssemblyEmma Sheerin of Sinn Féin opens the debate and explains that the motion had been tabled a number of weeks ago before the infrastructure minister withdrew an advice note, which she says concerned many of her constituents.
“Rural housing as we all know is in short supply,” says the Mid Ulster MLA.
She explains that many of her friends are currently building or attempting to build houses, and outlines the difficulties they face with the planning process.
The Alliance motion is passed on oral vote along with the party's amendment 1.
Next on this afternoon's agenda is a motion from Sinn Féin on the Impact of Department for Infrastructure Planning Guidance on Rural Communities.
Image source, NI AssemblyAndrew Muir says what happened “back in 1998” was a “very different society and a very different time in NI”.
The Alliance MLA adds that the rules within the Good Friday agreement “have not been updated to reflect the new modern society”.
He says “not all votes are treated equally within the chamber” on cross-community votes, such as the budget, or when a petition of concern is tabled.
“My vote doesn’t count the same as others as it’s required for cross-community consent for that to pass and I don’t think that’s right,” he explains.
“I tell you if there was an Olympic Games for kicking the can down the road, the NI Assembly would win that.”
Image source, NI AssemblyMark Durkan winds for the SDLP amendment.
He says we live in a place that has "transformed over the past two decades".
The Foyle MLA says the arrangements "were designed to facilitate peace. They brought our citizens some semblance of stability after decades of bloodshed".
He says Alliance have been content "to play that role of victim and have done so with aplomb".
Image source, NI AssemblyJim Allister says he agrees with Kellie Armstrong of Alliance in relation to her comments around “her designation being less equal than others”.
“She is right when she says the very system perpetrates division and that of course is the outworking of the very agreement that the Alliance party were cheerleaders for, namely the Belfast Agreement,” adds the TUV MLA.
Image source, NI Assembly“It’s clear change is urgently required in this arena,” says Gerry Carroll.
The People Before Profit MLA says he’ll be supporting the Alliance Party motion and amendment.
“The record of this executive and these institutions isn’t great” adds the West Belfast MLA.
Image source, NI AssemblyJohn Blair of Alliance refers to the "binary and outdated legislative system".
He says there has been "a significant increase in votes for parties whose members do not designate as either unionist or nationalist".
The South Antrim MLA says it's "quite frankly undemocratic" that a veto power should continue for some parties".
Image source, NI AssemblyDolores Kelly of the SDLP says she acknowledges that the Alliance Party's amendment to its own motion "would go some way to addressing some of our concerns".
She says that during the negotiation leading to the 1998 Agreement the SDLP recognised that the provisions around designation and cross-community voting "should and would be subject to review".
"We said then that we hoped that some of the necessary checks and balances might be biodegradable so that as the environment changed we could see agreement to have less reliance on what would be seen as more artificial containment of democratic decisions," Ms Kelly explains.
Image source, NI AssemblyMLAs now return to their earlier debate on the stability of the institutions.
John O’Dowd of Sinn Féin says his party will be abstaining on the motion and amendment.
He says he is “proud to say I share power with my Protestant, unionist, loyalist friends”.
“When we reach a stage where someone on the opposite benches can get up and say, 'I am proud to say I shared power with Sinn Féin, the SDLP, the Alliance party, or whoever else gets a mandate to be in the executive' then I think this society will take a huge step forward.”
Key issues raised during questions to the communities minister:
Image source, NI AssemblyNext up it's topical questions.
The members have 15 minutes to raise current issues that weren't raised in listed questions.
The DUP's Thomas Buchanan asks the minister what she is doing to address "the gross disparity in the community make-up of the Housing Executive workforce in the offices in the western area" particularly in Enniskillen, Omagh and Londonderry.
The minister replies that the Housing Executive works to "equality regulations and guidelines in terms of their recruitment policies".