NI Assembly: What to Watch this Week MONDAY 📍Second Stage debate on both the Display of Flags and Emblems Bill and the Tree Protection Bill 📍TEO AND AERA Question Time TUESDAY 📍Second stage of Renewable Electricity Generation Bill and Final Stage of the Dilapidation Bill 📍Communities Question Time WEDNESDAY 📍Infrastructure Committee – briefing from the DfI Permanent Secretary 📍Committee for the Economy - briefing from Sinéad McLaughlin MLA on the Regional Balance Bill THURSDAY 📍AERA Committee - discussing both the ANC Bill and the Hunting with Dogs Bill 📍Committee for Communities - Committee will receive evidence on the Charities Bill

Chris Bryant has been appointed as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland @niogov.

RT @ConnectBelfast: It’s great to be headline sponsors of the ‘The Future of these Islands’ Conference today. @SDLPlive @TheMACBelfast ht…

The Week that Was - 19.06.26 📍In another week of Assembly scrutiny on the Justice Bill, this week focus turned to raising the age of criminal responsibility, with Sinn Féin, Alliance and the SDLP all proposing an increase in the age from 10 to 14 via an amendment to the Bill. On Tuesday, it emerged that a petition of concern initially launched by the DUP, had reached the required 30 signatures needed to require cross community support for the amendment. 📍Sinn Féin have begun to announce candidates for the 2027 Assembly Elections this week with confirmation of candidates in Lagan Valley and Foyle. Current Cllr Declan Lynch will stand for the Party in Lagan Valley, with three candidates going forward in Foyle – current MLA Ciara Ferguson and current Cllrs Sandra Duffy and Christopher Jackson. Commenting on the party’s selection in Foyle, North Belfast MP John Finucane said that the Party are “standing three candidates to win.” The Party’s selection for Newry and Armagh will be announced on Friday night. 📍Conversations around reform of the institutions have continued this week, with local Party representatives giving evidence to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee. Opposition leader Matthew O’Toole MLA, UUP Leader Jon Burrows MLA, DUP Leader Gavin Robinson MP and Deputy Leader of the Alliance Party Eóin Tennyson MLA all spoke at the Committee on Wednesday.

The Week that Was - 12.06.26 📍The Executive released a joint statement this week “collectively and unequivocally” condemning disorder and violence across communities in Northern Ireland this week. The statement comes after several nights of violent scenes and intimidation in the aftermath of a knife attack in North Belfast on Monday. 📍In the statement, Executive Ministers said that “events on the streets here caused significant harm to communities, spread fear and risked innocent lives. No community benefits from these actions.” They also said that there is a right to protest peacefully but what happened “went far beyond that.” They reiterated that “our minority ethnic communities are a valued part of our society, many of whom are vital to our health and public services and our economy.” 📍Elsewhere this week, John Healey MP resigned as Defence Secretary on Thursday stating that he had "no other option" but to resign as the financial settlement for the Defence Investment Plan (DIP) "does not give our Forces the resources they need." Al Carns MP also followed him in resigning as Armed Forces Minister. Prime Minister Keir Starmer MP has appointed Dan Jarvis as the new Defence Secretary and is confident that the DIP will provide the military with resources it needs to "keep us safe."

NI Assembly: What to Watch this Week MONDAY 📍TEO and Infrastructure Question Time TUESDAY 📍Justice Bill – Consideration Stage WEDNESDAY 📍TEO Committee briefing on the Programme for Government Annual Report 📍Education Minister at Education Committee THURSDAY 📍Rescheduled evidence on the Energy Strategy at the Public Accounts Committee The full Business Diary can be found here: aims.niassembly.gov.uk/assem…

Wishing all our midwives and maternity teams a happy international day of the midwife from all of us at team RCM Northern Ireland - thank you for all you do!

Sinn Féin TDs and Senators met this morning and will be moving a motion of no confidence in the government. The actions of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Independents have been disastrous. They have lost the confidence of the public. It is clear that they still are not listening and do not accept the scale of this fuel and cost of living crisis. All reports indicate it will be more of the same half measures from them this evening. This is unacceptable. We need the maximum reductions now, as proposed by Sinn Féin weeks ago.

The Week that Was – 10.04.26 📍Gary Middleton announced this week that he would be resigning as the MLA for Foyle on Friday 10 April. In a statement released on Thursday, he said that he had been “suffering from a bout of ill-health” for the last number of months and that he is withdrawing from public life because he is “suffering significant mental health challenges.” 📍Speaking about his resignation, DUP Leader Gavin Robinson MP said Gary had been a “clear and consistent voice for Unionism” and that the party “deeply regret that Gary is leaving public service” but will do all they can to support him. The DUP will now have seven days from Friday to decide on a replacement for their Foyle seat. 📍Leader of the Opposition Matthew O’Toole MLA criticised the Executive this week for what he describes as their “radio silence” at a time of international crisis when energy and fuel costs are rocketing. He said “people in Northern Ireland are the most reliant on both vehicle fuel and home heating oil in these islands, but Ministers have had little to say other than writing letters to London and the occasional photo opportunity or dinner.”

Delighted to meet & spend time with Plaid Cymru Senedd candidate Sarah Rees @sarahrees500 & get into some constitutional conversations and projections ahead of the May 2026 elections. For the day that’s in it we talked footie too. Wales Northern Ireland & Ireland all in the game!

Our @ImagineBelfast discussion on role of the opposition, joint event between @ConnectBelfast & @humefoundation: fascinating insights from Eoin O’Broin, John McAllister, Matthew O’Toole & Sarah Rees wrt Senedd, Dail, Stormont legislatures. Thanks to chair Stephen Farry @UlsterUni

Kick-off time at our event with the @humefoundation as part of the @ImagineBelfast festival 🎤 📍We are hearing from our panel who are currently sharing thoughts on the role of the opposition across the UK and Ireland.

Great to support @pivotalpolicy yesterday enabling PLDP alumni to attend the NI Leadership & Governance Conference!

Agree. Powerful initiative. Women supporting women 💪 Donate here: justgiving.com/campaign/give… @AmandaFBelfast @CFNIreland

Incredible initiative 👏 🙌 ❤️ instagram.com/p/DWWFBysjHC6/…

Meeting the new perm secretaries as part of Public Sector Chairs Forum leadership & governance event & hearing phrases like: how best to plan long term when the crocodiles are beside the canoe, how do leaders deal with daily system volatility when trying to lay firm foundations.

The need for transformation set against a tight fiscal landscape a running theme of all 3 ministers speeches this morning. Need for a reality check as demand is rising. Transformation is the only sustainable answer, doing things differently & changing how we work @ConnectBelfast

Wales elections gonna be super interesting @ceritheviking

Really looking forward to this partnership event @ConnectBelfast @humefoundation @ImagineBelfast 🙌