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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“It has engaged with DFI and DFE on a joint proposal to the Shared Island Fund, alongside a bid from the Port of Cork, to further enhance the development of a dual-use solution for crews and offshore wind.”
“Belfast Harbour recently commenced the construction of a new £90 million deepwater berth at the D3 site. That facility will initially provide dedicated cruise passenger facilities to replace the current cruise location at D1, which is expected to be required to handle offshore wind farm projects later in the decade. Belfast Harbour is funding the £90 million investment as part of its five-year strategy to advance regional prosperity and is not in receipt of Shared Island funding for that. <BR /> <BR />Belfast Harbour has identified a significant investment opportunity on the D3 site that would make it capable of further bolstering the harbour's ability to support the offshore wind supply chain. Such investment is beyond the funding that is currently available to Belfast Harbour.”
“I thank the Member for his question. That is an important area to look at. In the summer, we experienced the Open representing a shop window, for want of a better term, to everything that we have to offer, and there is similar opportunity in that area. The work of Tourism NI and Tourism Ireland on marketing what we have to offer, with people then coming to experience it for themselves, encourages them to come back. The Member is welcome to write to me about research specifically in that area, and I will be happy to furnish him with anything that we have or to look at what we might need.”
“The report estimates the direct spend by passengers and crew during their visits, as well as spending by the cruise lines, on things such as prearranged passenger tours, port services and locally supplied provisions.”
“Over the past three years, cruise liner visits have consistently contributed £20 million to £25 million per year to the local economy. That is dependent on the number of ships that visit, their passenger capacity and uptake of ticket sales. Over the past three years, annual cruise ship visits have increased from 141 ships in 2022, delivering £20 million to the economy, to a high of 158 in 2023, bringing £25 million of economic benefit. In 2024, we saw the number of visiting ships drop back to 143, with an estimated £20 million of economic benefit. By the end of the 2025 season, 147 ships are scheduled to have visited, delivering an estimated economic impact in excess of £23 million. <BR /> <BR />Those economic impact figures are from a recent report that was commissioned by Belfast Harbour and supported by Visit Belfast.”
“We also support the PEACE PLUS youth programme, which targets young people aged from 14 to 24 who are disadvantaged, marginalised or at risk of involvement with violent or paramilitary activity. Typically, those young people have disengaged from mainstream provision. Participants can develop their capabilities in areas such as good relations, personal development and employability, alongside a focus on identifying the next step of their journey.”
“I thank the Member for her question. As I mentioned in my previous answer, the Department delivers Skills for Life and Work, which is a vocational education and training programme that is focused primarily on entry level and level 1, providing a guaranteed training place for young people aged 16 and 17 who have left school with low or no qualifications. The programme supports those who have very low or no prior achievement on their journey towards further education, employment or an apprenticeship, and it serves a cohort of young people who face significant barriers to engagement in work and learning. My officials are also working with training providers to identify progression pathways for programmes to better support outcomes for young people.”
“A number of different pieces of work are going on. The trends that relate to those young people who are not in education, employment or training are concerning. We need to take a more focused look at that.”
“I thank the Member for her question. I know WOMEN'STEC well. On Friday, I will actually visit its project launch in the north-west as part of the apprenticeship inclusion challenge fund. The apprenticeship inclusion challenge fund supports projects to facilitate young people from backgrounds that traditionally face barriers. That includes women, because the numbers of girls who participate in apprenticeships are much lower than the numbers of young boys. We want to address that gap. I certainly want to support and encourage more young women and girls into those less traditional roles and to do anything that we can to support that. That includes the work that we are doing through the careers action plan, so that young people know about the variety of options that are available to them and the pathways to get there.”
“The apprenticeship programme, with the recently launched apprenticeship action plan, is a key deliverable. I will soon be consulting on widening participation in higher education. The loss of European social funding continues to be a challenge when it comes to the interventions that we can offer. <BR /> <BR />Addressing the trend will require a holistic response from across the Executive. I am committed to working with my Executive colleagues to ensure that all our young people can fully participate and achieve their potential.”
“The reported increase in the number of young people here who are not in education, employment or training is of significant concern to me. It is a complex area that is not unique to here, involving a diverse range of young people aged between 16 and 24, with multiple factors at play. I have asked my officials to consider the factors that are associated with the increase; for example, whether the increasing incidence of poor mental health could be contributing to that worrying trend. <BR /> <BR />Many of my Department's programmes are aimed at supporting our young people to thrive in training or employment. Those include entry-level programmes such as Skills for Life and Work and Step Up, with FE colleges offering flexible delivery to accommodate diverse learner needs.”
“I thank the Member for her question. I understand that council officials recently met representatives from the WBR chamber to discuss alternative projects. I welcome the chamber's involvement, and I encourage the chamber and others to continue to engage with the council in order to support the identification of alternative projects, irrespective of whether they are in the tourism or innovation sectors. As I said, my focus is on supporting the council and the wider Belfast region city deal partners to develop the right project that will deliver sustained and inclusive economic growth for the region.”
“I am fully committed to co-design and partnership working with the council on the development of a new proposal that will strengthen the local economy, support job creation and bring lasting value to the region.”
“I value the importance of tourism to the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council area, and I recognise the fact that Minister Muir's decision will have been disappointing for the region. However, our focus is now on finding an alternative use for the funding. While it will ultimately be for the Belfast region city deal partners to propose an alternative project, I am supportive of retaining the funding in the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council area. <BR /> <BR />My Department is actively working with stakeholders, including the council, to identify alternative projects. Indeed, officials from my Department, Invest NI and Tourism NI met council officials in Downpatrick last week to support the exploration of alternative options.”
“In case I have caused confusion, I confirm that a consultation is being undertaken on the powers that Tourism NI currently has in relation to accommodation. Upon completion of that consultation, we will look at whether any further enforcement powers are required. A broader piece of work is being undertaken across Departments to look at short-term lets and their impact on our housing supply.”
“Upon completing the work of the upcoming public consultation, my Department and Tourism NI will review the overall design and function of the certification scheme, including whether enhanced enforcement powers are required for Tourism NI, for example, to be able to take action against online booking platforms to improve operator compliance.”
“Enforcement of the requirement for visitor accommodation to be certified is a matter for Tourism NI under the Tourism Order 1992. It includes taking enforcement action against accommodation establishments that have not been certified. Tourism NI regularly engages with representatives of the main online booking platforms, such as Airbnb, to encourage them to align the properties that are listed on their sites with the properties that Tourism NI has certified. I strongly encourage cooperation on that in order to continue growing the practice. <BR /> <BR />Tourism NI also routinely undertakes enforcement action against uncertified operators in accordance with its powers and statutory responsibilities.”
“However, I am committed to supporting the delivery of the Executive's housing supply strategy, and I am sure that the Member is aware of the fact that a cross-departmental approach is being taken. My officials are working with the Department for Communities and the Department for Infrastructure, as DFC looks to soon commission research to gain a more informed assessment of the relative impact, if any, of short-term lets on local housing markets. The completion of that research will give us a better understanding of the types of policy interventions that could be required in the area.”
“I thank the Member for his question. I have a lot of sympathy with the sentiment that he expresses. I live in an area that has a big tourism sector and many tourist attractions, and the number of those types of short-term lets is increasing. It is important that we take a proper look at the issue. <BR /> <BR />The regulation of short-term lets is a complex area in which to deliver change, and there are different policy and operational responsibilities across Departments, councils and other agencies. My Department and Tourism NI have no statutory powers to limit, cap or control the number or spread of properties providing accommodation for visitors. We therefore have little or no statutory or regulatory role to play on how they impact on housing, to which the Member referred.”
“The proposals respond to recent market trends, such as the rise in the number of glamping pods and other alternative accommodations, and will update the minimum standards and amenities that visitors now expect.”
“My Department regulates the minimum quality standards for visitor accommodation, commonly known as "short-term lets", across the North. It makes regulations to set standards in areas such as cleanliness, maintenance, essential facilities and comfort that operators must meet. Tourism NI ensures compliance by inspecting all new accommodation establishments under its statutory certification scheme before they begin operating and by re-inspecting existing businesses at least once every four years. <BR /> <BR />My Department and Tourism NI recently completed a review of the scheme's statutory criteria. We will soon launch a public consultation on proposed changes to obtain wider stakeholder and industry feedback.”
“I am pleased that all 11 partnerships have now been established, and, as I indicated, we have well-developed action plans that have enabled officials to undertake financial forecasting. There will be reduced spend in the first year, but the funding is being allocated across the three years and will be profiled accordingly.”
“I absolutely do not agree with the Member, and I do not expect that he expected me to. I am not sure what metric he is referring to when he talks about regional balance having got worse. The local economic partnerships initiative is very much about democratising economic development. It is not unexpected that the time taken for partnerships to establish themselves has differed across council areas, and, given the devolved nature of council responsibilities and that some were bringing together partnerships that may not have existed previously, councils were starting from different points. <BR /> <BR />The Department also had to seek approval of the business case for the fund, and that required taking a careful approach in order to ensure the type of flexibility that we want to see and to facilitate the partnerships to deliver.”
“I thank the Member for her question. I will give her an update on mid-Ulster. I understand that the council has decided to appoint a consultant to lead on the development of its action plan and that they should be in place later in September. I encourage her to engage with the council on that. <BR /> <BR />Partnerships are bringing forward a good range of actions that, exactly as has been anticipated, address local economic needs. Proposals include business support and mentoring, workspace development and tourism initiatives, but it is very much up to the local areas to decide what initiatives are needed and what best fits their economic needs. I encourage people actively to engage with the partnerships in their area to help shape the proposals.”
“I thank the Member for his question, and he makes a fair point. It is the responsibility of councillors in an area and all who are represented on the partnerships to ensure that there is a fair distribution across an area and that they target where they need to target for economic development. I guess that the checks and balances are built into the business case process, as you would expect, when issuing the letters of offer. They are probably slightly different checks and balances to those that the Member refers to, but there is the opportunity for areas to design economic plans, and local accountability needs to be layered on top of that.”
“The partnership has agreed an action plan, which is going through council approval processes and should be with the Department in the coming weeks for approval and issue of a letter of offer. I will be visiting Ards and North Down Borough Council on Thursday to hear more about its local economic partnership. I look forward to visiting more partnerships and seeing action plans progress. The Department and Invest NI will continue to work closely with the partnerships over the coming months to develop action plans that address local economic needs and ensure a collaborative approach.”
“The establishment of local economic partnerships is a new approach, bringing together my Department, Invest NI, councils and other key economic stakeholders in local areas. Overall, good progress has been made, and all 11 local economic partnerships have been established. There are varying levels of progress on the development of action plans. Four partnerships are very close to submitting action plans to the Department for approval, and others are holding workshops to develop ideas and proposals. We expect that progress on action plans will accelerate from this point. <BR /> <BR />The Member's local economic partnership at Newry, Mourne and Down District Council was the first to be established.”
“I thank the Member for his question. He makes an important point, because, as he will be well aware, a number of policy areas are being developed in tandem. That is being coordinated across the Department. We can ask officials to share something that points to what the Member wants to see.”
“I thank the Member for his question. As I indicated in my responses earlier, the scheme itself is expected to cost up to £196 million AME over the 10 years, and then there is a departmental expenditure limit (DEL) resource cost alongside. That frees up approximately £100 million AME that, once the scheme has been closed, will be able to be used over the period for a scheme that is designed to effectively cut carbon. Once we have completed the RHI closure, we will move to design and bring forward a replacement. We will engage with Treasury on that basis.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Earlier today, I announced the proposed way forward on RHI, following Executive approval on 18 September. My Department will now act swiftly to launch a public consultation and introduce the necessary legislation and regulations to give participants a tariff uplift for the coming winter. Following a period of extensive engagement with stakeholders, the consultation will now bring forward the details of how the scheme will be closed in a manner that is fair to both the participants and the taxpayer.”
“Any breaches of criminal consumer protection legislation can result in a trader being subject to enforcement by Trading Standards, including prosecution, with the courts having the power to fine or imprison offenders.”
“Builders and those who provide home improvement services need to comply with a significant number of consumer protection laws. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, consumers who enter into a contract for goods and services can expect those to be supplied with reasonable care and skill. That applies to all traders, whether builders, plumbers, decorators, electricians or whatever. The Act also requires that any materials used by any of those professionals should be of satisfactory quality, as described and fit for purpose. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 protects consumers from unfair trading practices by prohibiting misleading actions and omissions, aggressive sales tactics and other unfair practices that distort consumer decisions.”
“It prioritises its work and focuses resources on the areas that will result in the greatest benefit to the economy. I do not have the number of prosecutions in front of me, but, if the Member writes to me, I am happy to share those.”
“The Department's Trading Standards Service delivers consumer protection and enforcement on the ground. It delivers a front-line public protection function for the benefit of our consumers, businesses and the wider economy. That function comprises the twin aims of protecting consumers, particularly the most vulnerable, from illegal and unfair trading practices and providing support and guidance for businesses, particularly small businesses, so that they can effectively deal with regulation. As the Member referred to, it can also undertake investigations when it receives complaints. Given the large number of complaints received, the mandate that Trading Standards Service has and the resources that it has, it is not possible to investigate every complaint that it receives or pursue every issue.”
“My Department’s Trading Standards Service has received the following number of consumer complaints in each of the last five years: in 2020, 10,583; in 2021, 9,799; in 2022, 12,708; in 2023, 12,622; in 2024, 10,817; and, to date in 2025, 6,962.”
“I thank the Member for his question. As I indicated, it is my intention that the regulations to put in place the uplift for this winter will be approved by the Assembly by the end of November. Obviously, that depends on the Assembly's approving the regulations, which means that it is partly in Members' hands. It is important that, when we develop not just renewable energy projects but any projects, we work in partnership with those who will use them and deliver them. We very much ensure that the principle of partnership and co-design is in place for anything that we bring through the Department, including all the energy policy that I referred to when responding to Mr Honeyford. I am certainly happy to give that commitment.”
“As I indicated, the Department has engaged with all key stakeholders, including the Renewable Heat Association and the Ulster Farmers' Union, which represents a fair number of installation owners. Obviously, the consultation is the opportunity for everybody to have their say on the proposals. We are in a much better place than previously because of the constructive engagement. Therefore, I encourage everybody to participate in the consultation once it is launched in the near future.”
“I thank the Member for his question. As we move through the closure arrangements, the requirement for metering to be in place will no longer be there. Participants will be required to provide evidence annually that the installation remains in use. The Department will also introduce an audit and review procedure, which will include on-site protections. That is an opportunity to ensure that the installations continue to be used and that the payments are, therefore, being made genuinely.”
“I thank the Member for his question. As I indicated in other answers, the engagement with participants has been positive and constructive. We are in a better place with our understanding of the dual aim of being fair to participants and taxpayers. The consultation is the opportunity for people to air their views, and we will fully take on board what is shared through that. It is about a balancing act of being fair to participants but also taking into account the demands of our taxpayers.”
“I thank the Member for her question. The closure arrangements have been designed to stay within the AME budget, and the proposed tariff rates to be put in place and the payments to be made to participants will be roughly the same amount as in the current arrangements. Over the next 10 years, the scheme is expected to cost up to £196 million of AME, with up to £17 million in resource departmental expenditure limit for the Department to manage the scheme. The amounts have been approved by the Department of Finance as part of the business case, but all of that will be confirmed when the consultation is completed and the tariff rates come to the Assembly.”
“As the Member will be aware from his work on the Committee, a lot of things are happening in parallel, with energy being a priority area, and the engagement with the Committee is important.”
“I thank the Member for his question. As I indicated to Sinéad, the proposed tariff rates have now been circulated to MLAs so that you can look at them and give them consideration. The proposed rates are higher than those proposed last year, and, as I indicated in my statement and other answers, there has been significant engagement with the participants. I believe that we are in a better place because of the constructive engagement that has taken place, and I am grateful that that is the case. For my part, I will endeavour to ensure that the Committee is furnished with what it requires and that we find a way forward on the closure of the scheme but also on all the important work that we have to do across the energy policy area.”
“I thank the Member for his question. There has been significant engagement between departmental officials and scheme participants, and others have been involved as well. As I said in my statement, I am grateful to all who are involved for their constructive engagement. We are in a better place than we have been previously with the arrangements that are proposed to be put in place. I am hopeful that the participants and those who represent them will welcome what is being proposed today. The consultation will take place over the next number of weeks, and that is an opportunity again for participants to share their views on what is being proposed on the way forward.”
“I thank the Member for his question. It is my intention that the tariff rates, once consulted on, will be brought back to the Executive for approval before being brought to the Assembly. We hope to have that completed by the end of November/early December, and, as I said to Sinéad, we hope to have the final closure arrangements in place by April next year.”
“As I indicated in my statement, I intend to introduce temporary regulations immediately so that we can get them set for participants for the coming winter period. That, of course, will require the Assembly's approval, and we will also be endeavouring to have the scheme closure arrangements in place by April next year, which is when Ofgem will cease to administer the scheme.”
“I thank the Member for her question. I do not think that anybody would argue that RHI has been a success, and, particularly for the participants who signed up in good faith and genuinely, it would be understatement to say that the scheme has fallen short of their expectations. <BR /> <BR />I think that I have now circulated the proposed tariff rates. The best one to point to is the lower-medium biomass category, which is where most boiler installations are. The current tariff rate is 2·2p per kilowatt-hour, and it is supposed to be raised to 6·1p per kilowatt-hour. There are a number of different categories, and the Member can see those for herself. <BR /> <BR />You asked about the timeline.”
“We now have a clear path to fulfilling the NDNA commitment and delivering a solution that is fair to participants and taxpayers alike. I commend the statement to the Assembly.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is long past time that the RHI scheme was closed and the available funding put to better use. With Ofgem stepping away from the scheme's administration by April next year, time is running out. The launch of the consultation will represent a significant step forward. The closure of the RHI scheme will allow my Department to focus its efforts on developing alternative support measures.”
“That approach will free up my Department to engage with Treasury on a scheme that could utilise approximately £10 million per annum of annually managed expenditure (AME) funding for an alternative use. After the scheme is closed, I will update the Assembly on the progress of engagement with Treasury. That approach also means that payments can be stopped, if an installation is no longer in use. <BR /> <BR />There are, of course, pros and cons associated with all closure options, but the proposed approach is, I believe, the most reasonable in the circumstances. As we work towards closure, the Executive have also agreed to apply the tariff rate that will be used to calculate closure payments ahead of the coming winter period. If the Assembly agrees, that rate will come into effect in November 2025.”
“<BR /> <BR />In securing closure, we must ensure that participants who have acted in good faith receive the payment to which they are legally entitled, while protecting the taxpayer. The closure payment aims to strike that balance. The tariff rate used to calculate closure payments has been independently verified by Professor David Rooney and approved by the Department of Finance. With the scheme's closure and with Ofgem no longer administering it, meters will no longer be monitored for usage. Payments will therefore be based on usage between 2017 and 2019, which is the period that best reflects the heat demand for which installations were designed. Instead of a single, one-off payment, compensation will be staggered over a period of 10 years for a typical participant.”