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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“There is an application process and an interview process. At that point, the names of candidates who, according to the selection panel, have passed the interview process are presented to me by my officials for appointment. Nineteen candidates passed the interview process and were put forward for appointment. As I have said clearly to other Members, all five were deemed to be appointable on the basis that they added value to the Invest NI board and would bring different experience to it. The 14 others remain on a list for potential appointment for up to a year. The process was followed robustly, and I stand over it fully.”
“Regardless of people's political background or experiences, processes have to be followed, and that is clearly what happened in that case. As I have said to other Members, the five people who were appointed add significant value to the board. They have diverse experience across different sections of our economy, and that is exactly what we need on all public boards. <BR /> <BR />I take appointments to our public boards incredibly seriously. Board members do an important job. My Department's arm's-length bodies (ALBs) spend a significant part of my budget, so boards must hold those ALBs to account. It is therefore important that the people appointed to them have the necessary skills and experience, and appointing on the basis of merit ensures that that is the case.”
“That was clearly the case with the appointment process, where the guidance and code of practice were followed. Ensuring that appointment processes are open and transparent strengthens governance, enhances our decision-making and supports the delivery of high-quality public services. That is what people expect of us.”
“I thank the Member for his question. There is no place in modern society for discrimination of any kind. It is important that all our public boards are reflective of society and that the appointment process is open, inclusive and accessible to all sections of society.”
“As I have set out very clearly, the selection process was followed. The skill set that was asked for was set out as part of the application process, and all the candidates who passed the selection process had the skill set that deemed them to be appointable. They all fulfilled that criteria.”
“As I have set out clearly, the process that was followed was fully in line with the CPANI guidance and code of practice. As the Member will be aware, given that she was a Minister, the Nolan principles guide everything that we do as Ministers. They were fully upheld within this process. <BR /> <BR />The people who were appointed will add value to the Invest NI board. Obviously, each one of them came through the process and was deemed appointable by the panel that selected them and put them forward to me for appointment. We have a good, strong board, and, as I said, the people who were appointed to it will add value.”
“I completely reject the final part of the Member's question. Clearly, that is absolutely not the case. As I have outlined in detail, the appointments were made in line with the code of practice that was issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The process was followed robustly. At all stages, the proper process was followed and records were taken to ensure its transparency and accountability.”
“I make appointments from only those candidates deemed suitable by the selection panel, based on the evidence provided and assessed against the selection criteria agreed at the outset of the process. Those criteria were determined by me and informed by consultation with the chair of the Invest NI board and the chair of the selection panel. <BR /> <BR />The process, therefore, ensures that conflicts are identified, considered and managed appropriately before any appointment decision is made. The Nolan principles are reflected throughout the process. Appointments are made through fair and open competition, with independent assessment, appropriate declarations of interest and proper record-keeping to support accountability, openness and public confidence.”
“Mr Speaker, with your permission, I will group questions 2, 3 and 8. <BR /> <BR />Appointments to the board of Invest NI are made in accordance with the code of practice issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments (CPANI). The code provides a clear and robust framework for managing conflicts of interest at all stages of the appointments process. Applicants are required to declare any relevant interests, which are fully assessed by the selection panel as part of its evaluation of suitability. In addition, appointees are required to declare and manage interests on an ongoing basis once appointed. The selection panel is also required to declare any potential conflicts. They must be managed by the panel chair to ensure the integrity of the process. <BR /> <BR />My role is also clearly defined in the code.”
“It is important that we monitor the situation as that differential widens further, and I will ask the Department to look at how we can do that in a quantitative way as well as in the qualitative way that we hear from the sector directly.”
“I thank the Member for that question. It is certainly of significant concern to me, and I know that it is of significant concern to many of our tourism and hospitality businesses and those who represent them. I mentioned that we previously met Hospitality Ulster and the Food to Go Association. We have, obviously, corresponded with Treasury on the matter. We are yet to have a response from Treasury, which is outrageous, given the impact that we are seeing on our local businesses and the further impact that we will see in the near future as the differential widens further. The Finance Minister and I will follow up on that correspondence, and we will continue to engage with the sector.”
“Your council area and my council area have significant tourism attractions, and opportunities for the night-time economy are directly linked to that. Again, there are opportunities to work with Tourism NI on how we can better support our night-time economy across the board.”
“I thank the Member for his question, and I think that there is merit in what he is saying. Obviously, if you are in a city centre with all its attractions, you have the ability to attract more people to boost your night-time economy. The research that I referred to looked at Derry and Enniskillen, and that also gives important insights. The work that our councils are doing through the local economic partnerships gives us an opportunity to look at how the night-time economy can contribute and be supported across our different council areas. Obviously, the contexts that they work in will differ, and it is important to reflect that in the plans that are being introduced so that they are responsive to the needs of the local areas. I certainly encourage pursuing conversations about that with local councils.”
“To support that ambition, the Department has already taken a number of steps, including working with Tourism NI to explore tourism's potential in the night-time economy.”
“I thank the Member for that question. The Department published what is first-of-its-kind research into our night-time economy in collaboration with Tourism NI and the three business improvement districts of Belfast, which are Belfast One, Destination Cathedral Quarter and the Linen Quarter. The research was conducted by Ipsos and Nordicity and has already been instrumental in securing that funding for the late-night transport pilot scheme in Belfast. The research shows that our night-time economy contributed between £2·8 billion and £3·7 billion in gross value added in 2024 and supports over 100,000 full-time equivalent jobs. The research will further the development of a safe, thriving and diverse night-time economy that works for the hospitality and tourism sectors and for our communities.”
“<BR /> <BR />I had the opportunity last week to meet Steve Lazars from the Ethnic Minority Employment and Entrepreneurship Network and hear directly about the experiences of some of our minority ethnic businesses. I will follow that up next week to get a greater insight. It is important to understand the direct experience, as well as trying to respond to it, which, obviously, we will seek to do. It is important that we look at the experiences of the past week, and at the response in general. I raised some issues about messaging with the Chief Constable when he attended the Executive last week. It is important that we reflect on all of that.”
“I thank the Member for the question. It is important that I put on record my unequivocal condemnation of the recent disorder. It has caused significant damage and disruption not just to public services but to our local economy. Many businesses have been affected. Obviously, that comes at a time, as you said, when they can ill afford it; our businesses are already under considerable pressure due to the rising costs of doing business and the increased cost of living, which impacts on their customers. As you outlined, many of those business owners are from minority ethnic backgrounds, but so too are their staff. It is important that people feel safe while going to their place of work and feel that they can open their businesses safely.”
“Members may also be aware that I have recently published research into the night-time economy, which was undertaken in partnership with Tourism NI and the Belfast business improvement district. That has already led to funding for a late-night transport pilot in Belfast, supporting a safe and vibrant night-time economy. <BR /> <BR />My Department will continue to monitor business sentiment and engaging with stakeholders to support a sustainable and thriving hospitality sector, in line with our four economic priorities.”
“My Department, along with partner organisations, offers a wide range of supports to help hospitality businesses to become more sustainable. That includes promoting energy efficiency, encouraging innovation, developing skills and helping them to explore new markets. Invest NI provides advice, guidance, innovation grants and access to finance for small and medium-sized businesses. Tourism NI has launched a business resilience programme to support tourism businesses by offering expert financial guidance and a bespoke action plan. <BR /> <BR />Earlier this year, I met Hospitality Ulster and the NI Food To Go Association about a VAT reduction pilot scheme to address differences between the North and the South. Following that meeting, the Minister of Finance and I wrote to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, seeking a meeting on the issue.”
“It is really important that we ensure that a programme that is nearly 40 years old does not disappear, and that is why we have stepped in.”
“I thank the Member for her question. She will be aware that, following the announcement that the project was not going to continue, I intervened and engaged with Queen's University. The university has agreed that the project will continue, and I have committed that my Department will assume responsibility for funding it. The programme is important when it comes to the heritage of our local place names and the translation service.”
“I continue to make that case to my Executive colleagues, and, as an Executive, we continue to argue for a better Budget settlement from the British Government.”
“I thank the Member for that question. I am not aware of any impact on a particular campus. I, too, am concerned about the Coleraine campus, given that I live in that area and it is in my constituency. The university has been clear about its commitment to its multi-campus arrangements. The Member will also be aware, as a member of the Economy Committee, of the work that we are doing to understand the financial impact of the multi-campus model and to look at how the Department can reflect that and support the university as part of the budgetary process. <BR /> <BR />Obviously, we are still in the process of trying to get a better Budget settlement for the Executive as a whole. When it comes to my departmental budget and where I would like additional resource to go, my top priorities are our universities and colleges and Invest NI.”
“I thank the Member for her question. At this point, my understanding is that there will be no impact on courses. I am happy to engage further with Ulster University. I understand that it has caused concern not only for university staff but for young people who are looking at their choices. As I indicated, that is my understanding of the situation. I am hopeful that that is the case, but I am happy to engage further with the university. If the Member wants to write to me, I would be happy to correspond with her.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Certainly, I am happy to associate myself with those remarks. Our speech and language therapists do an amazing job. The Member will be aware of the work that the Department is undertaking on post-19 special educational needs to ensure that we support our young people as they transition out of school and into other settings and on the support that is required across a range of disciplines for that. He will also be aware of the increase in demand for the services and the increasing number of young people who present with additional and complex needs. We need to ensure that we have professionals coming through who are able to support them. As I indicated to the Member, I am happy to look into that issue further and engage with my Executive colleagues on it.”
“I thank the Member for his question. It is not something that has been brought to my attention, but I am happy to look into it further. I am not sure in which institution the proposed cuts are being made. I will also engage with the Health Minister on the issue, because some of it, such as places on allied health courses, may fall to him. I am happy to look into the issue further for the Member.”
“I will continue to ensure that engagement with the steel industry is maintained, that we gather that evidence from businesses and that the analytical work that has been undertaken informs the ongoing discussions on the practical outworking of the new arrangements that are being proposed.”
“As I indicated, I have had correspondence from representatives of manufacturing and construction here. My officials have met industry representatives to examine the impacts that they are highlighting, including cost pressures, supply constraints and, ultimately, employment risks. In parallel, departmental analysts have examined our import and trade data to assess the scale of the exposure that is faced by businesses here. That information has been shared with business representatives. Support and guidance have been published on nibusinessinfo.co.uk. <BR /> <BR />My officials have also met counterparts in the South to better understand the potential all-island impacts resulting from the tariff changes, and I have discussed the issues with my counterparts in the South and in Britain.”
“I have been clear in my engagement with the British Government that our economy and our downstream manufacturing and construction industries cannot be collateral damage in policy choices that are being made to protect the wider primary steel sector in Britain.”
“I thank the Member for her question. That issue has been raised with me by representatives of our manufacturing and construction industries here, and my Department has been monitoring the evolving trade regimes in Britain and in the EU. We have been engaging with local businesses to identify impacts and the risks that come with those. <BR /> <BR />On 15 April, I wrote to my counterpart in Britain, the Minister of State, Chris Bryant, to raise concerns about how the new quota arrangements under the British Government's steel strategy could affect our businesses downstream in the North.”
“The Member will be aware that higher education policy is devolved and that, as I have indicated, universities are autonomous institutions. If there are concerns about particular issues — I have not had them reflected to me — I encourage him to take them up with the vice chancellor.”
“I thank the Member for his question. The Member has corresponded with me on the issue in questions for written answer. As he will be aware, our universities are autonomous institutions. I reject all forms of racism and discrimination. Institutions have responsibilities to prioritise stamping that out, and I support the efforts in that regard.”
“Again, for the avoidance of doubt, I will say that I respect the fact that Governments have to secure and defend their people; that is not in question. I object to an agenda of militarisation, however, where we invest in arming up and wars of aggression. I do not support that. It is not what we should prioritise in public spending. I want to see investment in public services and things that will make people's lives better. I see no contradiction there.”
“I thank the Member for his question. My position on the militarisation agenda and on investment in defence above and beyond other priorities is well on record; I make no apologies for that. We should invest in things that make people's lives better, but I also want to see us have good jobs here. I see no contradiction in that position.”
“I thank the Member for her question. I consistently engage with our business community. I recognise that there are challenges coming at the business community, many of which are global, geopolitical challenges that are not within our control. That is why it is important that we try to control what we can and that we continue to try to make progress on what the Executive have agreed and prioritised in our Programme for Government. That is what guides me on the things that I am trying to progress in my Department, such as the economic vision and the progress under its four pillars, which you referred to in your question. We as an Executive need to continue to focus on those things. <BR /> <BR />My focus continues to be on delivery. I will not be distracted by electioneering. I intend to continue delivering up until 31 March next year.”
“I thank the Member for her question, but I do not agree with her characterisation. Our economy here, on a macro level, continues to outperform Britain on economic growth, exports and wage increases. Good jobs increased by 1·5 percentage points between 2024 and 2025. On regional balance, we have seen a closing of the gap between the lowest-paid and highest-paid council areas. We have also seen considerable improvements in regional balance through increased university places at Magee, by 22%, and at the Coleraine campus, by 12%. Since February 2024, 20,000 additional jobs have been created here. Our economy is therefore performing relatively well. There are certainly headwinds and challenges coming at us, but I continue, in my own role and through working with Executive colleagues, to address those challenges.”
“I thank the Member for his question. The Utility Regulator has undertaken its work. I am happy to write to the Member with the full detail, but we anticipate the new arrangements being in place before the end of June.”
“I thank the Member for his question. He is familiar with how our energy system operates across the island. We do need to look at the market structure and the costs that are applied. Certainly, I am happy to look at that further through my Department. It impacts on consumers. We want consumers to benefit from the arrangements that we have in place. We want to see progress when it comes to our infrastructure development and see that investment happening. We need to get that balance right and have secure and affordable energy.”
“I thank the Member for that question. The single electricity market has delivered benefits for consumers and businesses across the island. It enables electricity to be traded efficiently on an all-island basis, strengthens our security of supply and supports renewable energy generation. However, I recognise that households and businesses here continue to face significant pressure on their energy bills. I continue to engage with North/South and east-west partners, including our North/South regulators, to ensure that the single electricity market evolves in a way that better reflects the benefits of the energy transition away from fossil fuels and actually delivers real outcomes for consumers.”
“We will look at any option to make that a reality.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Certainly, I want us to be able to address effectively the challenges that people face with their energy bills. I am happy to look at what we can do to progress that. As I indicated, the type of engagement that is required is between the British Government and the EU. That is part of the arrangements that they discussed last year in improving relations. Certainly, I would support that, with the desire to bring down costs for consumers and businesses. I am happy to look at what we can do to identify the barriers that are there. As I said, the power does not rest solely with my Department. However, clearly, we want to do as much as possible. We are, through the energy strategy, looking at how we can ensure that, in the future, we have more affordable, sustainable and secure energy production here.”
“However, we are engaging constructively with the British Government to ensure that our interests are fully reflected in those discussions.”
“The current trading arrangements in respect of our energy markets are a direct result of Brexit, which removed Britain from the EU's internal electricity market and introduced less efficient trading processes between Britain and EU-aligned markets, including the single electricity market. I support efforts to improve electricity trading arrangements in the interests of consumers. More efficient arrangements would be consistent with how such markets were originally designed to operate, so I welcome the ongoing UK-EU discussions on a potential electricity agreement to improve cross-border trading arrangements. As the Member will know, any change will require agreement between the British Government and the EU; it is not directly in the control of my Department.”
“I did not have a deadline to introduce the Bill last year. I think that we said that we hoped to have a Bill by January this year. We were perhaps a bit ambitious in respect of the amount of work that needed to be done and the level of engagement that we wanted to undertake. As I indicated earlier, when I announced the proposals, I committed to engaging extensively, and we then undertook that engagement. That was time well spent and has helped us to craft a Bill that will hopefully be recognised as one that strikes the right balance between supporting employers and helping workers. That is what we all want to see.”
“The Bill will make a real difference to ordinary people, and I look forward to it coming to the Executive and being introduced in the Assembly.”
“I thank the Member for the question. Yes, I agree that we want to get the Bill into the Assembly as quickly as possible so that scrutiny can commence. I believe that there is plenty of time left in the mandate to scrutinise and pass the Bill. However, the sooner the Bill is passed to the Committee, the sooner that work can commence. Workers and families across the North are struggling with the cost of living, and the Bill will help to better balance work and family life and ensure that people are seeing those advances, whatever they may be — whether it is making sure that young people and those working in hospitality receive the tips that they have earned; supporting people to move off zero-hours contracts into more secure banded-hours contracts; or the important family leave that is included in the Bill.”
“That was work that was well done and needed, and I am hopeful that, when the Bill is introduced in the Assembly, with all the important measures that we have spoken about, people will reflect, see the detail for themselves and recognise that we have tried to strike the right balance. The Economy Committee has an important role thereafter in scrutinising the Bill, and the Assembly will ultimately decide what is in the Bill.”
“I thank the Member for his question, I think. I am very serious about the legislation. Considerable work has gone into drafting the Bill, and considerable engagement has been undertaken to get us to the point of having the draft. I do not consider the time that it has taken to be a lengthy delay, as the Member characterised it. I consider it to have been time well spent in developing legislation that meets the needs of businesses and workers, which is what I committed to do when I published the proposals last year. I said that we would continue to work, particularly in two areas where further work was required: zero-hours contracts and trade union access. Since we first announced the Bill until now, over 100 engagements have taken place to inform what is now with the Executive.”
“At yesterday's trade union rally here, colleagues from all parties spoke in favour of measures within the 'good jobs' Bill, so I am optimistic that the Bill will be approved when the Executive meet next Thursday and introduced in the Assembly shortly thereafter to allow for the scrutiny of the Bill to commence.”
“The 'good jobs' Bill is the biggest upgrade to our employment legislation since the Good Friday Agreement. It contains numerous important advances for workers' rights. It will address the exploitative use of zero-hours contracts, give people leave to care for a loved one, provide paid leave to parents whose newborn baby requires neonatal care, ensure that workers get their tips, strengthen flexible working and make it easier for people to engage with trade unions. <BR /> <BR />The draft Bill is with the Executive for approval for introduction into the Assembly.”