3.3 The Northern Ireland Assembly

Figure 12: The Northern Ireland Assembly logo.

Show description|Hide description

Image of the Northern Ireland Assembly logo.

Figure 12: The Northern Ireland Assembly logo.

Work with your Northern Ireland Assembly representative

The Northern Ireland Assembly elects Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). MLAs pass laws and examine policy on issues which have been devolved to the Assembly (see here for more information [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] ) and listen to and act on behalf of their constituents. Like the Scottish and Welsh parliaments, Northern Ireland residents are represented by more than one MLA. There are five MLAs per each of the 18 constituencies across Northern Ireland and 90 MLAs overall.

You can look up your MLAs by postcode here. MLA offices can be contacted by letter, email and phone, with Members holding regular surgeries. Check out the dos and don’ts in Section 2.2 for advice about contacting elected representatives.

MLAs attend Plenary sessions in the Assembly Chamber (usually on a Monday or Tuesday). These meetings are excellent opportunities for MLAs to raise local issues during debates and question ministers on behalf of their constituents, including the First Minister and deputy First Minister. MLAs can also represent their constituents by sending in written questions (which normally receive more detailed responses from ministers than oral questions), table motions for debate (including adjournment debates, which usually relate to specific constituency issues), propose amendments to laws, and introduce private members bills. MLAs therefore have lots of different ways they can represent their constituents, and various opportunities to try and create change.

Assembly business is a matter of public record. You can research your MLAs’ positions on specific policy issues by searching the Assembly Hansard for debates they have participated in. You can also search for Bills they have supported and questions they have asked via the Assembly website.

Maximise

Figure 13: The Northern Ireland Assembly.

Show description|Hide description

Photograph of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Figure 13: The Northern Ireland Assembly.

Submitting evidence to a Committee

Committees are made up of MLAs and focus on a specific government department e.g. Finance, Health and Education. Committees are tasked with holding the Northern Ireland Executive to account, by examining and proposing amendments to legislation, as well as by raising issues by tabling motions for debate in the Chamber. Committees can also propose their own Bills.

They also hold inquiries, and as part of this individuals and organisations can submit written or oral evidence to inform their recommendations (which the Department or relevant minister must respond to). It’s possible to check online what issues committees are currently looking into and the deadline to respond. Committees can also ask someone to speak in person as a witness, if their expertise is deemed relevant to an inquiry.

Committees also call for evidence on Bills, so the public can influence legislation via committees too.

• You can find the current Assembly committees here.
• You can find out more about how NIA Committees work by watching this video.

Download this video clip.Video player: Video 3: Committees of the Northern Ireland Assembly

Show transcript|Hide transcript

Transcript: Video 3: Committees of the Northern Ireland Assembly

[MUSIC PLAYING]

SPEAKER

Committees of the Northern Ireland Assembly shape legislation, influence government policy, and hold the executive departments to account. Committees are made up of between five and nine MLAs from different political parties. Like executive ministers, committee chairpersons, and deputy chairs are appointed using the d’Hondt mathematical formula. This means that the more seats parties win in the election, the more committees they’re entitled to chair.

Most committee meetings take place weekly on Wednesdays and Thursdays in parliament buildings. They tend to last about two to three hours, and members of the public may attend as observers or watch online.

There are three main types of assembly committee, standing, ad hoc, and statutory. Each committee specialises in an area of work. The six standing committees each have specific rules assigned to them. For example, the Business Committee agrees the agenda, called the order paper, for plenary meetings in the assembly chamber. The Committee for Procedures reviews the rules of the assembly, known as standing orders, and the Public Accounts Committee works with the Northern Ireland Audit Office to hold government departments to account for how they have spent public money.

Ad hoc committees are set up for a limited time to look at specific issues. These can be joint committees with MLAs from two or more committees working together. There are nine statutory committees, one for each Northern Ireland government department. Statutory committees play a big part in the lawmaking process. They scrutinise the work of ministers and departments, and allow the people of Northern Ireland to have their say on proposed new laws and government policy.

Most bills passed by the Northern Ireland Assembly are executive bills proposed by ministers. After a second stage debate, when the assembly votes to consider a bill further, it moves on to the committee stage. The relevant committee studies the bill line by line, consults researchers and experts, and asks groups of people affected by the law, called stakeholders, to comment. Members of the public may also write to the committee with their views.

The committee invites some people to attend a meeting to give oral evidence and answer questions. It then, produces a report on the bill, which often recommends changes, called amendments. The assembly debates the report, and usually votes in favor of committee amendments. Committees do have the power to introduce bills, although committee bills are rare.

Committees can also hold inquiries into issues raised by interest groups or members of the public, or to scrutinise an aspect of the department’s work. The commission research papers hear from experts, stakeholders, and the public, and produce a report with recommendations. The report is debated, and the relevant minister responds in the assembly chamber, as well as having to respond to the committee’s recommendations in writing within two months.

Committees have a legal right to send for persons and papers to help them do their job. They call on ministers and government officials to brief them on issues and answer questions. Refusing to provide documents or attend a meeting could result in a substantial fine or a prison sentence. So committees are pretty powerful. While meetings in the chamber may often highlight divisions between parties, working relationships and committees are usually harmonious. Members work constructively, while representing the interests of the people who voted for them.

End transcript: Video 3: Committees of the Northern Ireland Assembly

Download

Video 3: Committees of the Northern Ireland Assembly

Working with All Party Groups (APGs)

All Party Groups (APGs) are made up of MLAs from different parties with an interest in a particular issue. Formal membership is for MLAs only, but individuals and organisations can be invited to attend meetings and give briefings to inform and support the work of the group.

All three designations (Nationalist, Unionist, and Other) at the Assembly must be represented in the membership, which must be made up of at least ten MLAs.

You can see the current APGs and contact details here.

Presenting a petition through an MLA

MLAs can present a public petition, signed by members by the public and requesting government action on a particular issue, to the Assembly. Once approved by the Business Committee, the MLA presents the petition to the Speaker with some introductory words, and the Speaker then arranges for the petition to be sent to the relevant minster. At some point the minister will usually respond to other MLAs and/or the speaker outlining what action has been taken as a result of the public petition.

Making change via North/South collaboration

The North/South Ministerial Council, made up of ministers from the Northern Ireland Executive and Irish Government, co-operates on policy related to 12 areas of mutual interest. Six of these areas are agreed mutually but implemented separately in each jurisdiction. The other six are agreed together but implemented through shared implementation bodies covering both Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland. Details on how to contact the Council, including areas of interest, are available on this website.