This page covers the Northern Ireland Assembly, the main purpose is to give a brief overview of the roles and responsibilities of the Northern Ireland Assembly and your MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly).
Reproduced below you will find a brief explanation of some of the ins and outs of the Assembly.
At the end of day for the man/woman on the street or the motorcyclist on the road, perhaps all we want is to know how any decisions that are made will affect our daily lives.
But in saying that, we as the voter and motorcyclists have an opportunity to put our thoughts to the politicians on what we think is the right or a better course of action for motorcycling in Northern Ireland.
At the very least by contacting your MLA you are making them aware of another view that comes from the motorcycle community. A view that perhaps they are not aware of or a view that does not just highlight problems but offers solutions and to build the motorcyclists lobby for MLAs who fully understand the importance of the motorcycle fraternity in Northern Ireland.
As a strong community or fraternity, either as individuals or organised as an effective lobby, armed with a knowledge of motorcycling, nobody is in a better position to inform and communicate than motorcyclists themselves.
Northern Ireland Assembly
The Assembly has 108 elected MLAs (Member of the Legislative Assembly) who are elected by proportional representation. Six MLAs are elected from each of the 18 constituencies. MLA’s responsibilities include participating in plenary (full) sessions in the Assembly Chamber, which are usually held twice a week, on Mondays and Tuesdays, Membership of the Assembly Committees and representing their Constituents’ concerns. These full sessions, which take place on Mondays and Tuesdays, are the most publicly visible work when MLAs are expected to speak on, vote on, and suggest motions and questions for debate and ask questions of Ministers about matters concerning government departments. Members of the public are welcome to attend and you can watch online, not only assembly debates, but committee meetings at the Assembly website www.niassembly.gov.uk or the BBC Democracy live website The Assembly has the full authority to make laws and take decisions on the functions of the Northern Ireland Government Departments, certain decisions have to be taken on a cross-community support basis through “parallel consent”. |
The
Committees
The Statutory Committees scrutinise the work of the Northern Ireland Government Departments. They have the power to recommend changes to the policies and decisions of the Departments; to put forward amendments to Bills and may also carry out independent investigations into any current issues that Ministers may be considering. They meet at least weekly and most meetings are open to the public. The Assembly can also set up Ad Hoc Committees, that last only as long as they are needed to carry out a specific piece of work. The main interest for motorcyclists are the departmental Environment Committee and the Regional Development Committee, these committees undertake a scrutiny, policy development and consultation role with respect to the Department of the Environment and the Department for Regional Development and they play a key role in the consideration and development of legislation. Experts can be called to give evidence. |
The Assembly has a range of Committees known as Statutory, Standing or Ad Hoc Committees.
All Party Assembly Groups and All Party Groups
All Party Groups are open to both MLAs and non-MLAs. All Party Assembly Groups membership comprises of Assembly Members only. Motorcycling constantly faces a barrage of ill informed safety solutions, in the main treating motorcycles and trying to find the same safety solutions that work for cars and other vehicles, that rarely work for motorcycles and motorcyclists All Party Assembly Group on Roads Safety The purpose of the All Party Assembly Group on Roads Safety is a forum by which Members of the Assembly can play an active role in the promotion of roads safety, both in the Assembly and in the public domain, and to help reduce deaths and injury on the roads. While this group deals with road safety in general, what we would like to see at Right To Ride is an All Party Group on Motorcycling similar to Westminster’s Associate Parliamentary Group for Motorcycling whose purpose is: “To safeguard motorcycling interests by monitoring legislation for matters affecting motorcycling in both the UK and Europe and taking remedial action where necessary; to represent motorcycling issues to fellow parliamentarians; to organise social events; to foster the good image of motorcycling and, by example, to encourage others to take up motorcycling.” Can you see this happening? Such a group in the Assembly could be useful for motorcycling by helping to keep the government and other MLAs informed of outside opinion. |
Similar to Westminster the Assembly has a range of
No Day Named Motions
Basically MLAs may add their names to demonstrate support for the sentiments of a particular issue. No Day Named Motions may be debated or be important enough to be mentioned during a debate. They are similar to Early Day Motions in Westminster. |
A no day named motion is the term given to a motion for which no date has been fixed for debate.
The Northern Ireland Executive
The Executive Committee, which exercises executive authority on behalf of the Assembly, brings forward proposals for new legislation in the form of ‘Executive Bills’ for consideration by the Assembly. It also sets out a programme for Government each year, with an agreed budget for approval by the Assembly. |
The First Minister and deputy First Minister and the 10 Departmental Ministers make up the Executive which meets to agree on significant issues and matters which cut across the responsibilities of Government Departments
Finally
The North/South Ministerial Council The North/South Ministerial Council brings together Ministers from Northern Ireland and the Irish Government. The Council meets on a regular basis to develop consultation, co-operation and action on an all-island and cross-border basis on matters of mutual interest. This includes Road Safety – Experience of road safety programmes – Road safety targets and priorities – The possibility of harmonisation of road safety reporting and information systems and mutual recognition of driving disqualifications, penalty points, etc and the possibility of joint road safety campaigns and educational initiatives where this would lead to economies of scale. www.northsouthministerialcouncil.org North/South Implementation Bodies
In addition to the six Implementation Bodies six areas have been identified for co-operation between existing government departments and other bodies, North and South. Two of these aspects are transport and tourism. The British-Irish Council The British-Irish Council promotes the harmonious and mutually beneficial development of relationships among the people of the United Kingdom, Ireland, the devolved institutions in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales and the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey. The Council’s work programme covers several areas of mutual interest including tourism and transport the latter which Northern Ireland takes the lead. |
There are three other bodies – councils where issues are discussed which could effect issues surrounding motorcycling.
About This Information
The information has been condensed from the Northern Ireland Executive website More information can be found on the BBC Democracy website Click Here The information is basic and reflects, as voters concerned with motorcycling, what we should know and where Right To Ride is placing itself to promote and protect motorcycling. Published 3rd April 2010
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As we said above we have reproduced a brief explanation of some of the ins and outs of the Assembly.
