Health Minister Robin Swann brought the Adoption and Children Bill to its final stage in the assembly
SDLP MLA Pat Catney opened the further consideration stage of his Private Members' Period Products (Free Provision) Bill
The Private Tenancies Bill reached its final stage debate with Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey opening the debate
Naomi Long, the Justice Minister, moved the Justice (Sexual Offences and Trafficking Victims) Bill to its final assembly hurdle
The General Teaching Council Bill final stage debate is due to took place before MLAs broke for lunch
Robin Swann, the Health Minister, and members of the Assembly Commission appeared in the chamber for Question Time
The health minister was asked an urgent question about an RQIA report into a children's care home run by the charity Praxis Care
Chris Lyttle's Fair Employment (School Teachers) Bill reached its consideration stage
Image source, Getty ImagesThat's all from us today.
We'll be back tomorrow morning from 09:30 when the Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots will be appearing at the Agriculture Committee to outline current supply chain issues and the war in Ukraine.
Do join us then. Good evening.
Image source, NI AssemblyDeirdre Hargey, the Communities Minister, is called to wind the debate on the further consideration stage.
The Sinn Féin MLA urges members to back all 32 of her proposed amendments.
Each amendment is put to an oral vote and passes.
The Deputy Speaker of the House, Roy Beggs, then adjourns today's sitting.
Image source, NI AssemblyThe Period Products Free Provision Bill sponsor Pat Catney replies to the debate.
The SDLP MLA thanks Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey for her help in getting the bill to the House and a long list of others who have assisted him.
During an intervention, the DUP's Robin Newton asks Mr Catney if he agrees that the cost of the scheme should be funded "in addition" to the existing budget for schools.
The bill's sponsor says he agrees and that the costs are not as great as may have been thought.
He says the amendments "fit with the whole ethos of the bill to create a framework to allow for the free provision of period products".
Image source, NI Assembly"This is an important bill dealing with social inclusion, the issues of poverty and ensuring that no girl is excluded form school or from the workplace because of the inability to purchase period products," says Diane Dodds.
She adds that the Period Products (Free Provision) Bill is another example of a private member's bill "that will bring significant cost but has no business case".
Sinéad McLaughlin of the SDLP says the amendments are mostly tidying up the bill.
"This bill means so much to people," she adds.
Image source, NI AssemblyChris Lyttle of Alliance chairs the Education Committee.
He says the issue of period poverty is something that members have considered for some time during meetings.
“I’m delighted to see the communities minister” bring forward amendments to assist the Period Products Free Provision Bill, he adds.
It should come as no surprise that Nicola Brogan of Sinn Féin will be supporting amendments brought forward by her party’s communities minister.
She addresses a number of specific amendments in detail.
Image source, NI AssemblyDeputy Speaker Roy Beggs explains that there are 32 amendments to the Period Products (Free Provision) Bill in a single grouping.
The amendments are being brought by Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey and she opens the debate.
She says the amendments, many of which are technical, "will improve the bill's implementation".
The minister then runs through all 32, explaining what they are intended to achieve.
The motion calling for the annulment of the Marriage, Civil Partnership and Civil Registration (Amendment) Regulations is defeated by 58 votes to 29.
Next on the agenda is the debate on the further consideration stage of the Period Products (Free Provision) Bill.
It goes ahead after the members have agreed to suspend the standing order which requires that there should be five working days between each stage of a bill.
This is a private member's bill brought to the House by the SDLP's Pat Catney.
Jim Wells, the co-proposer of the motion, is called to wind on the debate.
“£261,000,” he says. “Did anyone stop to think, ‘Is there a more cost effective way of doing that?’.”
The DUP MLA who has had the party whip removed adds “that’s the price of eight nurses”.
Image source, NI AssemblyMr Wells says “when the language has been so cynically used by militant republicanism then unionism has difficulties”.
“Why for instance in Irish is there no translation for the word ‘United Kingdom’, ‘Londonderry’, ‘Northern Ireland’, or ‘Her Majesty the Queen’?” asks Mr Wells.
“Why, oh why are there Irish translations of the occupied six counties, the north and the British state. Because the language is being abused.”
Image source, NI AssemblyCommunities Minister Deirdre Hargey replies to the debate on behalf of the Minister of Finance, her Sinn Féin party colleague, Conor Murphy.
She says the New Decade, New Approach (NDNA) agreement included a commitment for the registration of births marriages and deaths to be available in Irish.
"The option for the registration in Irish has also been taken forward to include stillbirths, civil partnerships and the conversion of civil partnerships to marriages," Ms Hargey explains.
"These regulations are the first steps in a phased approach towards taking the NDNA commitment forward," she adds.
Image source, NI AssemblyPaula Bradshaw of Alliance says “far from threatening anyone this is a perfectly normal means of managing and respecting a diverse society”.
“I like living in such a diverse society,” she adds.
The South Belfast MLA says the two members who brought this motion “need to reconsider their priorities”.
"This motion is nothing but an utter embarrassment."
Image source, NI Assembly"I can't believe we're debating this motion today," says Matthew O'Toole.
The SDLP MLA describes the motion as "preposterous and disgraceful".
Mr O'Toole says the assembly should be debating an Irish Language Act and that this is "a very small, modest piece of regulation".
Ulster Unionist Robbie Butler says his party "will not be supporting the annulment today".
Turning to another subject, he says that "the politicisation of St Patrick's Day makes me cold".
Image source, NI AssemblyKeith Buchanan rises to speak on the motion on behalf of the Finance Committee.
He says members were surprised that changes had been made before it was brought to the assembly.
“I expect there to be a division today on this debate,” he adds.
Speaking in his role as a DUP MLA, Mr Buchanan says “to press ahead with these reforms is for us not keeping with the spirit of what was agreed in New Decade, New Approach”.
He adds that there can be “no cherry-picking approach”.
Image source, NI Assembly“It’s an absolute disgrace that I must stand in this assembly in 2022 to defend basic rights for Irish-language speakers against the type of prejudice, intolerance and disrespect which is an unfortunate feature in the contributions of a small and non-representative number of members,” says Aisling Reilly.
The Sinn Féin MLA adds: “I am am Irish speaker, proud of it, raised with Irish, the native language of this country as my first language.”
“I and other Irish speakers are fully entitled to use our language and to equality of treatment in doing just that.”
Image source, NI AssemblyNext on the agenda is a motion calling for the annulment of the Marriage, Civil Partnership and Civil Registration (Amendment) Regulations.
It's being brought by TUV MLA Jim Allister and Jim Wells, a DUP MLA who has had the party whip withdrawn.
Mr Allister says this motion is intended "to focus attention on unnecessary squander".
He says the legislation enables someone to record their marriage details in Irish.
The North Antrim MLA says that before the piece of legislation came before the Finance Committee "the Department of Finance decided to spend £261,000 to upgrade an IT system to facilitate this".
He says the department presumed the support of the committee and the assembly for the legislation before this money was spent.
Image source, NI AssemblyDeputy chair Ulster Unionist John Stewart winds the debate on amendment 1 on behalf of the Executive Office Committee.
He says the overriding concern for the members has been "that teachers can apply to any school without prejudice".
Deputy Speaker Patsy McGlone puts the Fair Employment School Teachers Bill to the vote and it completes its consideration stage.
Image source, NI Assembly“It appears the planets have aligned” says Kellie Armstrong.
The Alliance MLA explains that teachers will, if this bill is passed, be covered by fair employment rights like all other employees.
She thanks her party colleague Chris Lyttle for bringing forward the Fair Employment School Teacher Bill.
Image source, NI AssemblyMr Lyttle is next to be called.
He says the bill contains is “an overdue reform”.
Mr Lyttle thanks all Executive Office Committee members for their scrutiny of the legislation.
Image source, NI AssemblyPat Sheehan of Sinn Féin says "it's always been assumed that it was CCMS (Council for Catholic Maintained Schools) that really want this exemption" but CCMS made clear to the Executive Office Committee that they had never used it in employing a teacher.
He says the bill is "another important brick in the wall in terms of normalising the society that we live in".
DUP MLA Diane Dodds also supports the Fair Employment School Teachers Bill.
"I don't think anyone in this House is in any doubt that this is both necessary and the right and proper course of action," she says.
There’s one proposed amendment to the Fair Employment (School Teachers) Bill at the consideration stage.
It’s been put forward by the chair of the Executive Office Committee.
Sinead McLaughlin opens the debate and outlines the evidence give to the committee by stakeholders.
Image source, NI Assembly“This issue has been debated for many years,” says the SDLP MLA.
She explains that there were some members of the committee who felt there should be no delay in removing the exemption in the bill.
“The bill’s sponsor has been extremely open and flexible” in terms of how long the exemption should be, adds Ms McLaughlin.
The committee recommended a delay of up to 24 months.
Up next on the assembly’s agenda is a consideration stage debate on the Fair Employment (School Teachers) Bill.
It’s a private members’ bill which has been proposed by Alliance MLA Chris Lyttle.
This piece of legislation is tight for time in progressing as next week marks the end of the current mandate - however this bill still has quite a few hurdles to pass before becoming law.
Will it make the cut?
Image source, NI AssemblyPaula Bradshaw of Alliance says she was "shocked but not necessarily surprised" by today's news.
She asks what the Health Department is doing about "providing proper care for children in community settings".
Health Minister Robin Swann says that on 21 January he announced an independent review of children's social care services adding that it commenced its work in February.
Gerry Carroll of People Before Profit asks the minister what assessment he and his team have made that children's services should not be supplied by charities.
Mr Swann says part of the review of adult social care concerns rebalancing how much is supplied by trusts and how much by the third, private and voluntary and community sectors.
Image source, NI AssemblyColm Gildernew chairs the Health Committee says keeping children safe is a “paramount priority” for us all.
Has the South Eastern Trust been provided addition resources, asks the Sinn Féin MLA.
Robin Swann responds that RQIA had concerns about staffing levels and governance structures at the care home.
“The trust has not asked for additional resources to be able to do this,” explains the minister.
Image source, NI AssemblyPam Cameron of there DUP says this is a “very concerning subject”.
What engagement has the department or RQIA had with children and their families?
Minister Swann outlines that “there was engagement not only with the parents” but “also the children themselves”.