Speaker cautions Stormont ministers to show ‘courtesy and respect’ to Assembly

Stormont’s speaker has warned Executive ministers on the need to show “courtesy and respect” to the Assembly as he expressed concern over an apparent reluctance to face questions from MLAs.

Edwin Poots was commenting on the practice of ministers making announcements via written statements on days when the Assembly is in session, rather than appearing before the legislature to answer questions.

Mr Poots identified the departments of agriculture and finance as “repeat offenders”.

Alliance MLA Andrew Muir has been agriculture minister since devolution returned last year.

Sinn Fein’s Caoimhe Archibald was finance minister for most of that timeframe until she was succeeded by party colleague John O’Dowd earlier this month.

The speaker addressed the issue on Tuesday morning after SDLP Opposition leader Matthew O’Toole had raised concerns about the practice on Monday.

Mr Poots said ministers should only issue written statements on sitting days in “exceptional circumstances”.

“Despite that, the general expectation has always been that on sitting days ministers should make their statements in this chamber so that members have the opportunity to raise questions,” he said.

“I’ve asked my office to review the number of written statements made by ministers on sitting days over the past few months, and it comes back at 10 over the course of 22 weeks of Assembly sitting days.

“And so that is one for nearly every second day of the Assembly. And the two repeat offenders have been the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and the Department of Finance. But all parties are guilty on this and it’s not those exclusively, but those are the repeat offenders.

“There may be sometimes an issue with departments not giving the Assembly the priority it should have when they’re planning for announcements to be made.”

Mr Poots said he was “somewhat disappointed” with the frequency with which he had to “remind ministers and their departments of the role of this Assembly to scrutinise and hold ministers to account”.

“This body is who puts them into that elevated office in the first instance,” he added.

“And, therefore, showing courtesy and respect to this body is incumbent upon ministers to do.”

Mr Poots said if a written statement is made on a sitting day, MLAs have the option of tabling an urgent oral question to summon the minister to the chamber to answer questions.

The speaker indicated his willingness to grant requests for such questions to “reinforce” his point on the need for ministers to make announcements to the chamber.