Order Paper

1. Prayers

2. Members’ Statements

3. Executive Committee Business

Consideration Stage: Budget (No. 2) Bill (NIA Bill 14/22-27)

          Minister of Finance

4. Question Time

4.1 Economy

5. Private Members’ Business

Motion: Opposing Plans for the Nutrients Action Programme 2026-2029

Proposed:

That this Assembly recognises the need to tackle all sources of pollution affecting water quality in Lough Neagh and in rivers throughout Northern Ireland; expresses alarm at plans to impose stricter phosphorus limits on over 3,500 local farms, mandate low emission slurry spreading equipment and require compulsory uncultivated buffer strips for those in the arable and horticulture sectors; believes such measures could devastate agriculture, reduce livestock numbers, add cost and red tape and undermine food security; stresses that any future nutrient management policy, which is focused on more sustainable agricultural practices, must be the product of genuine partnership, rather than punitive policies that risk the viability of our agri-food industry; further stresses the need to redouble efforts, and actions, to address the sources of pollution in wastewater treatment; and calls on the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to immediately withdraw the current public consultation on the Nutrients Action Programme 2026-2029 in order to provide time and space to develop a genuinely multi-sectoral and multi-agency approach that is fair and workable for all stakeholders.

Miss Michelle McIlveen
Mr William Irwin
Mr Tom Buchanan

Motion: Improving Sentencing Practices in Northern Ireland

Proposed:

That this Assembly recognises the independence and vital role of the Northern Ireland judiciary and acknowledges the complex nature of the cases that come before the courts; supports the requirement for all judges to take part in ongoing personal and professional development, as directed by the Lady Chief Justice; expresses deep concern at the lenient sentences handed down in some of the most serious cases, including those involving sexual offences; further recognises the lasting harm such sentences can cause to victims and the damage they do to public confidence in the justice system; is alarmed by recent figures showing that nearly 80 per cent of prisoners in Northern Ireland are repeat offenders, highlighting the urgent need for sentencing policy to do more to deter reoffending and protect the public; believes that sentencing should reflect the seriousness of such crimes and meet the expectations of victims and wider society; calls on the Minister of Justice to take urgent and proactive steps to address these concerns, including launching a public consultation on the establishment of a Sentencing Council for Northern Ireland to support greater consistency, transparency and robustness in sentencing; and further calls on the Minister to ensure that, in all relevant cases, victims are provided with written copies of sentencing remarks, at no cost and without delay.

Mr Doug Beattie
Mr Robbie Butler
Ms Diana Armstrong
Mr Andy Allen

6. Adjournment

• Access to Justice and Legal Services in Fermanagh and South Tyrone

Ms Diana Armstrong