Caoimhe Archibald
East Londonderry · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“Taken together, that points to a scheme that is operating effectively in its early stages, while, of course, remaining under review as further evidence becomes available. <BR /> <BR />I therefore commend to the Assembly the Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay (Employment and Earnings) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026.”
“I seek the Assembly's approval for the Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay (Employment and Earnings) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026. The statutory rule was made on 1 April and came into operation on 6 April. It is before the Assembly today under the confirmatory procedure.”
“The 2026 regulatory impact assessment estimates one-off employer familiarisation costs of up to £1·36 million, with wider HMRC implementation costs forecast at £1·5 million and annual systems maintenance costs of around £10,000. It may assist Members to note that early implementation has gone smoothly.”
“The amendment ensures the continued operation of those regulations and forms part of a wider package of legislative measures establishing statutory parental bereavement pay as an entitlement for bereaved parents.”
“The regulations before the Assembly today are a key part of that implementation and ensure the continued operation of the statutory parental bereavement pay framework. The policy objective is clear: to support bereaved working parents at a time of profound loss and provide a minimum standard of protection in law.”
“<BR /> <BR />The confirmatory procedure means that the regulations before the House today have come into operation before the Assembly debate has taken place and must then be approved by the Assembly within the relevant statutory period. In this case, the deadline for approval is 20 September 2026.”
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“I note the Member's attempt to deflect from his party's position on the genocide that is being committed by Israel in Gaza. There are issues in relation to China's human rights: I have highlighted and will continue to highlight those concerns. I also emphasise that one of the measures that is being taken as part of my announcement is the development of an ethical investment framework that will apply consistently across the board.”
“The measures that I announced will apply consistently to any country that is found to be committing genocide and are designed to align our economic development policies with human rights obligations and ethical investment principles. I do not consider that to be a controversial position to adopt to ensure that public funding is not associated —”
“<BR /> <BR />In relation to the other measures that are designed to provide reassurance and eliminate any risk of public funds being used to support the manufacture of arms or components that will be used for genocide, I have outlined my intention and will provide further information, once those steps have been progressed. My decision does not represent a policy that is unique with regard to Israel; it is based on the principle that public funds must not support the manufacture of arms or components that will be used for genocide. That approach will be country-neutral, principles-based and grounded in the UN's 'Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights'.”
“In addition, the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion of last July was that Israel’s continued occupation of Palestinian territory is unlawful, and that states have an obligation not to recognise or assist in maintaining that situation. That position is reinforced by the UN General Assembly's resolution of 18 September 2024, which called on all states to cease trade or investment relations that assist in maintaining Israel’s unlawful occupation. That resolution reflects a broad international consensus that states should not facilitate violations of international law.”
“With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will answer questions 2 and 5 together. My written ministerial statement of 16 October concerns matters that are within the statutory responsibility of my Department. The measures that are outlined in that statement are driven by the clear moral case for action. Insofar as my statement outlined that the North would not participate in the British Government's trade talks with Israel, which are currently paused, I do not consider it to be controversial. <BR /> <BR />In its report, published on 16 September, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Including East Jerusalem, found that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Genocide is not only abhorrent but illegal under international law.”
“I completely agree with the Member. We are blessed with significant and important tourism areas and landscapes and a number of hugely important visitor attractions. Our council does a very good job of promoting our tourism offering. As recently as today, we have seen the success of the Open, which was hosted in the Causeway Coast and Glens area. That council area has shown that we have the ability to host that type of major sporting event and other major events. We can continue to build on that. Similarly, as I said to Mr Harvey, there is a real opportunity for our LEP to look towards tourism as part of its plans. Working alongside Tourism Ireland, Tourism NI and our councils, I will, of course, continue to promote the best that we have to offer.”
“Recognising the brands that Fáilte Ireland owns, Tourism NI is in final discussions with Fáilte Ireland on licensing the use of Ireland's Hidden Heartlands to the Fermanagh region, and I hope to be in a position to welcome progress on that in the very near future. <BR /> <BR />I have previously updated Members on Ireland's Ancient East. Fáilte Ireland is evaluating that brand's effectiveness and considering the next steps. I am keen for the North to be represented in any discussions on that, and I will continue to make that case to Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland.”
“I thank the Member for his question, and I completely agree with him. Work is ongoing with Tourism NI, Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland to bridge those visitor experiences across the island. For example, the Causeway coastal route and the Wild Atlantic Way have a Shared Island project fund of some £7·6 million to do that. A review of the current Causeway coastal route visitor offering has been completed, following consultation with public and industry stakeholders and having gathered insights to shape an infrastructure strategy. That has the potential to develop things along the route such as the discovery points that are similar to those along the Wild Atlantic Way. That project also includes the delivery of a small capital investment scheme to improve interpretation, provision and the visitor experience.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Some of our council areas, including mine and the Member's, have a particularly strong focus on tourism and will have strong tourism development departments. Working alongside Tourism NI, there is an opportunity for them to share best practice. Through the tourism vision and action plan, I encourage that and will continue to encourage Tourism NI to play that important role. Through the local economic partnerships (LEPs) that we recently established, there is an opportunity for each council to design its own economic plan and, where it is relevant and council members feel that it is appropriate to do so, ensure that tourism is appropriately represented in it. Again, I actively encourage councils to do that.”
“The work will be further enhanced by an upcoming destination stewardship approach that will focus on achieving regional balance in rural and urban areas through carefully designed sustainability and regenerative plans.”
“Regional balance is a key priority of my tourism vision and action plan, and rural tourism presents a valuable opportunity to support regional balance and promote the sustainable development of our rural communities. <BR /> <BR />We know that visitors, particularly those from international markets, come to experience our amazing landscapes and scenery. Whether they are our coasts, lakes, countryside or parklands, our rural areas have them in abundance. Tourism NI will continue to work directly with tourism businesses in rural areas as well as in collaboration with local councils. That focus on business development supports and promotes their authentic and unique appeal across all regions to develop their profitability, innovation, visitor appeal and long-term sustainability.”
“There are Ministers and Departments that engage early and well on potential legislative consent motions, but, on a number of occasions, that has not happened, and it is across all Departments here. The First Minister and deputy First Minister have raised that on a number of occasions and have again committed to raising it as a machinery-of-government issue. <BR /> <BR />I thank Members for their engagement in today's debate. I look forward to working with them to ensure that we play a leading role in the transition to cleaner aviation. I therefore recommend that the Assembly agree the motion.”
“I thank Members for their contributions to today's debate and the interest that they have shown in this important issue. I thank again the Economy Committee and its Chair for their support and engagement. I will pick up briefly on a couple of the points that Members made. <BR /> <BR />I agree that we have a real opportunity here for job creation and innovation and supporting businesses. There are already a couple of businesses here that are engaged in sustainable aviation fuel production. There is clearly an opportunity to be grasped. It very much links with some of the strategies that have been mentioned and the forthcoming circular economy strategy that we intend to bring forward in the near future. <BR /> <BR />I will pick up again on the point about the lack of engagement on LCMs on some occasions. It is not always the case.”
“I thank my Executive colleagues, who have given their support to consent to the Bill. I also thank the Committee for its engagement on the matter and for the report that it produced. I commend the motion to the Assembly and thank Members for their support.”
“My Department has consulted the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and the Department of Justice. I acknowledge the positive responses received from the respective Ministers, who indicated their support for the LCM. They also acknowledged the potential environmental and economic benefits of applying the Bill's provisions here and that the financial penalty provisions in clause 11 are necessary, proportionate and unlikely to have a detrimental impact on the justice system here.”
“That intersects with the devolved responsibilities if the direction concerns the revenue certainty contracts. The same applies to clause 13 on information and advice. Clause 14 relates to funding the counterparty only to enable it to fulfil its liabilities under the contracts, which is considered to be a devolved issue. Clause 15 sets out how regulations under the Bill will be made. It intersects with devolved responsibilities if they relate to non-levy regulations. <BR /> <BR />The Bill can help support the establishment of a world-leading sustainable aviation fuel industry, reducing reliance on imported fuels and boosting energy security. The Bill cuts across economic development, environmental matters and the application of financial penalties here.”
“Clause 11 allows for financial penalties to be imposed for failing to comply with regulations on the levy, which is considered to be reserved, and for failing to comply with regulations on surplus, which is considered to be devolved. Penalties are intended to ensure compliance and to maintain the integrity of the revenue certainty mechanism. Initially, the Bill omitted the North from the recovery provisions. That was addressed at Committee Stage in the House of Commons through an amendment to ensure that unpaid penalties are recoverable here, thus aligning with procedures in England and Wales. <BR /> <BR />Clause 12 enables the British Secretary of State for Transport to direct the government-owned counterparty on the exercise of any of its functions.”
“They also allow the British Secretary of State for Transport to direct a designated government-owned counterparty to offer guaranteed price contracts to sustainable aviation fuel producers. The clauses also provide for the publication and registration of contracts, the designation of the government-owned counterparty and the ability to transfer responsibilities between entities. The clauses ensure transparency, flexibility and investment confidence in the sector. <BR /> <BR />Clause 10 ensures that any surplus funds that are collected through the levy that are not needed to support revenue certainty contracts are returned to levy payers. The levy itself will be imposed on aviation fuel suppliers and will remain a reserved matter.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill was introduced in the House of Commons on 14 May 2025. The Bill establishes a revenue certainty mechanism, which provides producers with a guaranteed price for their fuel, thereby reducing investment risk and encouraging market growth. The Bill also establishes a framework for further regulations and mechanisms to follow in support of the sustainable aviation fuel industry. The Bill contains 19 clauses, 11 of which would apply here. The proposal is that they be extended to this jurisdiction via a legislative consent motion (LCM). <BR /> <BR />I will turn briefly to the specific clauses in the Bill that require legislative consent. Clauses 1 to 5 establish the legal framework for revenue certainty contracts.”
“Decarbonisation is one of my four key objectives. Reaching net zero requires action across every sector of our economy, including the aviation sector. Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is designed to reduce the environmental impact of air travel. It is produced from renewable or waste-based sources and can be used in existing aircraft engines and infrastructure with little or no modification. Compared with conventional jet fuel, it can reduce life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions by up to 70%. Sustainable aviation fuel production has the potential to generate hundreds of skilled jobs in engineering, logistics and research as the industry grows. There are also potential benefits for our agri-food and waste sectors from providing feedstock sources for sustainable aviation fuel production.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.”
“There are areas that we will want to look at in particular in which there are opportunities for us to gain from what is happening in the South and for our counterparts in the South to gain from what we are doing through our successful delivery model. There are particular areas of demand for skills. I think, for example, of green skills, for which there is a clear need to develop new pathways and curricula. We can do that jointly on an all-island basis and share resources. We want to look at that in particular through the Shared Island funding opportunities that are coming up.”
“I thank the Member for her question. I responded to Sinéad in a similar vein. As I mentioned, there are many opportunities for skills development through the all-island skills task force, which will oversee the delivery of PEACE PLUS cross-border skills provision and the PEACE PLUS youth programme and will enhance and contribute to the all-island skills ecosystem in collaboration with partners in the South. My Department and officials will seek to collaborate on an all-island basis, as I mentioned to Sinéad, in order to reduce the cross-border barriers to North/South student mobility, including exploring Shared Island funding as a potential vehicle for further collaborative work across the apprenticeship sector in particular.”
“My Department will regularly review skills provisions to meet the evolving needs of the economy, which are aligned with departmental strategies and the economic vision. That includes the Irish-medium accreditation and learner support systems. In the near future, we will commission research to identify barriers and potential solutions to issues that are faced by those who want to achieve Irish-medium accreditation, the findings of which will be published later in 2026. A key piece of research will include the benchmarking of accreditation and learner support models across comparable sectors.”
“I thank the Member. One of the important things about the pilot is that it has a cross-departmental approach. A number of Departments, as well as Belfast City Council, have invested in the pilot, so there is an opportunity to look at how we can jointly support its success. <BR /> <BR />As I mentioned in my previous answer, we undertook research. We are waiting for the report to be published. We will look at the recommendations that come out of that report to see what more we can do to support the night-time economy in Belfast and more widely.”
“I thank the Member for her question. I agree: it is an important step forward in supporting our night-time economy. It is a pilot. We want to understand its impact and evaluate it at the end of the year in order to decide whether we should continue to take it forward and whether it can be applied elsewhere across the North. We undertook research on the night-time economy that looked not just at Belfast but at Derry and Enniskillen. Learning can be garnered from the pilot and applied elsewhere, as I said. There will be an evaluation process. The Department for Infrastructure is leading on the initiative, but we are looking at what exactly will be included as part of the evaluation.”
“I thank the Member for his question. The message that is sent by the statement that I made last week is that we will have no part in supporting Israel's genocide in Gaza, and, as I outlined to Mr Middleton, we have a moral duty to ensure that we are not doing that and a moral duty to hold to account the Israeli Government for the actions that they have taken. We have a moral obligation to take actions to prevent genocide. I have made it clear that it is my expectation that public funding will not go towards supporting genocide. That is what I set out in my statement last week. <BR /> <BR />On the wider economy, I work every day to support the betterment of our economy, create jobs and attract investment. We have sectoral action plans that we work on in partnership with businesses to support them to thrive, grow and create jobs.”
“I thank the Member for his question. I do not happen to have that information in front of me, but I will be happy to furnish the Member with it.”
“MEGA is an excellent example of how working together — businesses in partnership with government and academia — can help our economy to become more resilient, innovative and productive. <BR /> <BR />One of the other things about clusters is that they can help us to capitalise on one of our key strengths, which is the fact that we are small and are interconnected. Everybody knows everybody. Because we are a small region, people in business, academia and government are already well connected and that helps us to collaborate really well. There are many successful examples of that.”
“I absolutely agree. MEGA is a standout example of effective clustering in the North. I gave it a shout-out at the conference because it was the first real-life example that I had come across of clustering and industry working together. It brings together key players in advanced manufacturing and engineering sectors and fosters collaboration, innovation and skills development. The strength of MEGA lies not only in its industrial impact but in its commitment to nurturing talent and supporting local businesses and the local economy. It is a model that other regions and sectors could certainly learn from. It points to the impact that clusters can have. They bring economies of scale and enable specialist expertise and capability to be leveraged for the benefit of all businesses, large and small, in the cluster.”
“<BR /> <BR />Clusters are a really important part of our economic policy, and it was a fantastic opportunity for us to talk about what we are doing and to learn from what is happening internationally. We have work ongoing through the Shared Island Enterprise Scheme, where InterTradeIreland has taken the lead in the work across the island in partnership with Invest NI and Enterprise Ireland. <BR /> <BR />I commend the work of InterTradeIreland in organising that truly global conference and providing an opportunity to demonstrate and showcase the world-class clusters that we have on the island.”
“I was delighted to be at the TCI conference last week, which was hosted in Ireland for the first time, jointly between InterTradeIreland, Invest NI and Enterprise Ireland. It is a flagship event on clusters and innovation ecosystems, and the island of Ireland was chosen to host the twenty-eighth global conference, which marked a significant milestone for it because it is the first time that it has been held on a cross-border basis. <BR /> <BR />The conference welcomed 250 delegates from more than 25 countries to the island. Cluster tours took place in Dublin, Mullingar, Portlaoise, Dundalk, Belfast and Newry, showcasing the innovation and strength of our current ecosystem in fintech, cybersecurity, life sciences, maritime and advanced manufacturing.”
“I do not have a recollection of what the Member is referring to, but I am happy to correspond with him on that.”
“<BR /> <BR />In respect of memorials and other things across the region, as the Member will be well aware, there was a report by the Commission on Flags, Identity, Culture and Tradition (FICT), and it is not my party that is blocking the taking forward of recommendations in that.”
“I thank the Member for his question. What I set out last week was in response to a report that was undertaken by Invest NI on its investments. In response to that, there is a moral duty on us to ensure that we are not facilitating the genocide that is happening in Gaza. Israel is a regime that is illegally occupying and imposing apartheid in Palestine. It is carrying out a genocide, and there is a legal obligation on all Governments to take action to prevent genocide, including by not arming or providing financial support to those who are committing genocide. That is what I set out in my statement last week.”
“I thank the Member for her question. I spoke at the NI Chamber's workforce conference summit on Thursday, but, because of my cough, I was about as successful as I have been in my attempts to respond to questions today. I set out at the conference that I support the idea of a workforce development agency. There is an awful lot more for us to do in this mandate, and I indicated to the chamber that we will likely be into the next mandate before we are in a position to set that up. However, that does not mean that we should not do the preparation work at this point.”
“I thank the Member for her question. On Friday past, at the North/South Ministerial Council, I had the opportunity to have a bilateral meeting with my counterpart in the South, James Lawless. We launched the first all-island apprenticeship in accounting technology on Friday, which is a tangible demonstration of the opportunities to work on an all-island basis. We are also working to improve student mobility across the island, and there has been recent work on the Central Applications Office (CAO) points system. We are also looking at how we can better align the likes of the results announcement dates from the CAO and UCAS. We can look at all the opportunities that there are, particularly through the Shared Island Fund, and, in respect of apprenticeships specifically, we want to take up the opportunities to develop further areas of study.”
“Its plans include investigating the creation of a life sciences cluster, developing the business case for the Willowbank 2 innovation hub and collaborating with the port of Larne on logistics upgrades and port decarbonisation.”
“I thank the Member for her question. I had the opportunity to visit the Local Economy Development Company (LEDCOM) with the Communities Minister and hear about the pilot. It was one of my first visits as Economy Minister. The north-west pilot brings together Development Trusts NI, Trademark Belfast and Enterprise North West to promote the north-west region and community wealth-building across it. Trademark Belfast will focus on worker buyouts for business succession and economic resilience, while Enterprise North West will connect stakeholders and highlight the benefits of community wealth-building. It is also working to improve social value in procurement and will help local enterprises to access credit union finance. LEDCOM will coordinate the Larne community wealth-building partnership pilot.”
“In addition, I funded Trademark Belfast and Co-operative Alternatives to conduct a six-month education and awareness programme to showcase the benefits of the cooperative business model and raise awareness of how to start a community-based cooperative.”
“I thank the Member for her question. My Department has progressed many of that report's recommendations. We have grown our support for social enterprises, and we published our three-year social enterprise action plan last December, which continues to be implemented in a collaborative way by my Department and the social enterprise co-design group. <BR /> <BR />Another recommendation was to explore the potential for worker cooperatives and employee ownership. This year, I made almost £100,000 of funding available to Employee Ownership Ireland, which will help to increase awareness and understanding of the employee ownership trust model and support businesses as they explore transition as an option.”
“In addition to those pilots, I consulted recently on proposals to strengthen the credit union sector. I intend to introduce legislation in this mandate that will modernise the credit union sector and provide a strong basis for continued growth.”
“Both pilots will explore how local places can assume a lead role in designing and delivering new approaches to economic development and how the framework contributes to creating resilient local economies and supporting long-term prosperity.”
“I am committed to delivering a more regionally balanced economy and to supporting the power and impact of our social economy more widely. Community wealth building is an important element of that. Last week, I announced £300,000 of joint funding from my Department and the Department for Communities for two community wealth-building partnerships in the north-west region and in Larne. Each will receive £150,000 to pilot community-led economic and social development initiatives. <BR /> <BR />As part of the pilot, over 100 people attended a community wealth-building conference in the Playhouse in Derry last week. The conference formed part of the north-west pilot and is a great example of how the initiative brings people together to share ideas and learn from one another.”
“I am OK, thank you, but I appreciate the offer.”
“In conducting the research, significant engagement took place with the sector. We encouraged responses from across the childcare sector to ensure that we got the best representation possible. Officials found it challenging to get input from across the sector, however. One of the things that we hope that the advice service will do is to give us a better understanding of the sector and its needs. Getting the pilot up and running and having somebody who is tasked with engaging with the sector will be really important for understanding the type of support that could be needed.”
“A second collaborative shared skills academy in the early learning and childcare sector has also recently been launched to support participants with the training that they need in order to obtain entry-level roles in the childcare sector.”
“Further funding has also been provided for research into the barriers to managerial recruitment in the sector.”
“The Member is quite right. There are challenges in the childcare sector that cut across a number of Departments. The Minister of Education leads on the childcare and early learning strategy, and a cross-departmental group engages on the specific issues. <BR /> <BR />My Department has the remit for skills development of those working in childcare and in the childminding sector to address shortages. We currently facilitate a range of training and qualification pathways through further and higher education, as well as through apprenticeships and traineeships. This year, I secured over £350,000 to support FE colleges to develop accredited online micro-courses that focus on supporting individuals who have children with additional needs.”
“I thank the Member for her question. It is really important that we work in partnership with the sector, so I have asked my officials to ensure that the new service is designed in partnership. An initial pilot is being considered to allow meaningful engagement during the early stages of the service's development.”