Get Involved the Work of the Northern Ireland Assembly
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Get Involved The work of the Northern Ireland Assembly Pól Callaghan MLA, Tom Elliott MLA, Gregory Campbell MP MLA and Martina Anderson MLA answer questions on local issues at Magee. Contents We welcome your feedback This first edition of the community We welcome your feedback on the newsletter features our recent Community Outreach programme conference at Magee and a number and on this newsletter. Please let of events in Parliament Buildings. us know what you think by emailing It is a snapshot of the Community [email protected] or by Outreach Programme in the Assembly. calling 028 9052 1785 028 9052 1785 Get Involved [email protected] Get Involved The work of the Northern Ireland Assembly Speaker’s overwhelmingly positive. I was deeply impressed by Introduction how passionately those who attended articulated Representative democracy the interests of their own through civic participation causes and communities. I have spoken to many As Speaker, I have always individuals and I am been very clear that greatly encouraged genuine engagement constituency. The event that they intend to get with the community is at Magee was the first more involved with the essential to the success time we had tried such Assembly as a result. of the Assembly as an a specific approach with effective democratic MLAs giving support and The Community Outreach institution. We know advice to community unit is available to that the decisions and groups including on how support, advise and liaise legislation passed in the to get involved with the with the community and Assembly are best when process of developing voluntary sector. It helps they are informed by the policy and legislation provide opportunities views and experiences of at the Assembly. This for local groups to the people we represent. was in direct response get involved with the to the needs identified Assembly. It is a great Every MLA would by community groups resource for community recognise the important themselves. We have and voluntary groups and work carried out by equally listened to I urge you to use it. the community and feedback from the voluntary sector in their event and it has been William Hay MLA, Speaker Get Involved Loud and clear! The Northern Ireland Assembly held a very successful community and voluntary sector event at the University of Ulster at Magee at the end of January. Designed to get your voice heard in the Assembly, the event targeted smaller local groups from the North West constituencies of Northern Ireland. The day kicked off with an address from the Speaker of the Assembly, William Hay MLA. The Speaker, whose constituency is Foyle, spoke about how central the Third Northern Ireland Assembly Speaker, Sector has been to the development of society and Mr. William Hay, MLA, and Professor services in Derry/Londonderry and the surrounding Deirdre Heenan, Dean of Academic Development and acting Provost, area. He also spoke about how the Assembly can only Magee campus. be truly successful when all sections of society, their All Magee photographs appear courtesy opinions and their needs, find a voice in the Assembly. of Lorcan Doherty Photography 028 9052 1785 Get Involved [email protected] Get Involved The work of the Northern Ireland Assembly pictured on the front page, were involved in some spirited debate. In fact, the audience responded with as many opinions and answers as the panel. Fergal O’Donnell of the Rural The workshops Community Network put questions to Maureen Fox of Women into Public Life asks the panel sessions were a high MLAs to explain point for many of the participants. The session was chaired Feedback on this section by MLAs and assisted by was tremendous with Assembly clerks. The groups identifying how practical and valuable this participants had the session was. opportunity to present an Thanks go to the MLAs Sean McMonigle of the Bogside and issue to a mock Brandywell Initiative makes his point Committee, get feedback who ran the sessions - Mary Bradley, SDLP; directly from the Chair Eamonn Maillie, a veteran Raymond McCartney, (MLA) and the clerk on the Assembly broadcaster, Sinn Fein; David McClarty, hosted a robust Question processes that govern a Independent; Basil and Answer session with committee and pointers McCrea, UUP and Pat MLAs which focused on how to make the best Ramsey, SDLP all of whom on a number of local of the evidence sessions were ably assisted by the questions. The MLAs, for organisations. Assembly clerking team. MLAs who chaired the sessions Raymond McCartney Mary Bradley MLA MLA David McClarty MLA Basil McCrea MLA Pat Ramsey MLA 028 9052 1785 Get Involved [email protected] Get Involved The work of the Northern Ireland Assembly Next Steps - your thoughts on getting groups and individuals involved in the Northern Ireland Assembly. The afternoon session of the Magee event focussed on listening to what the community and voluntary sector had to say about being heard in the Assembly. The delegates were asked to suggest how the Assembly can better engage with its citizens, particularly young people, women and lower income groups who have not traditionally become involved with the legislature. There were lots of opinions and the feedback fell into 5 main strands: Getting information ■ There is a need to improve Assembly We are working hard to design a website that is more user friendly, website to make it more available more interactive and that really meets the needs of all our users - we especially via electronic means. hope to launch this within the next 12 months. ■ More user friendly language. In the meantime you can have your say on Assembly business on our facebook page or send us questions and feedback via twitter @ ■ More workshops and fact sheets that niassembly. are relevant to constituencies should be provided by the NIA Demonstrating local issues at the Assembly ■ How does the community and There are lots of ways of getting your voice heard from the Assembly. voluntary sector get access to the Future copies of this bulletin will be focusing on the different Assembly? Innovative ideas can methods in detail but they can include: be used when approaching the ■ responding to a consultation committees. ■ asking an MLA to consider a debate on an important constituency matter ■ asking an MLA to put a question to a Minister ■ holding an event in Parliament Buildings ■ asking MLAs or Ministers to an event in your local community ■ asking for quotes from your local MLAs ■ attending an outreach event Bring Assembly issues and decisions to a local audience ■ Establish regular opportunities for The Magee event was the first time that we tried a workshop representatives from voluntary sector approach to practice giving evidence to a Committee with the huge who can express issues with MLAs benefit of having MLAs on hand to give direction and guidance. on a regular basis. Feedback said it was invaluable and will be used more widely in future. ■ Politicians in committees do not Committees have been working hard to widen their engagement consult with the voluntary/community with groups and individuals. Most committees have held large sector before making decisions in scale events in Parliament Buildings as well as smaller meetings on these areas specific issues like Bills or departmental programmes. Committees now also hold regular meetings and undertake visits across Northern Ireland. This means a growing number of groups have met with MLAs and we will continue to develop this after the election. Better education ■ There is a need for more neutral Providing an Assembly for the people of Northern Ireland is a pretty representatives to come out and rigorous process. We recognise that there are some elements that break processes and systems down can seem impenetrable. Here in the Outreach team we are keen to and explain them more clearly. help navigate the paths into the Assembly. 028 9052 1785 Get Involved [email protected] Get Involved The work of the Northern Ireland Assembly Better education (continued) ■ Could we offer an education We are also planning to run a number of workshops on how the programme for the community and Assembly works and are always on call to answer your queries. voluntary sector. ■ Assembly representatives need to be on the ground more explaining to the people how the Assembly works Better connections ■ Politicians should try and meet We know that MLAs regularly meet groups but there may be community groups regularly opportunities to hold events to bring MLAs and groups together. ■ Politicians need to engage with all Committees have already been doing a considerable amount of this voluntary sector- a meeting space or and it has proven very successful. The Outreach team are looking at forum will provide new and innovative additional ways of connecting with the Assembly. We will have more ways of engaging, sharing views and info for you soon. highlighting issues. We are keen to widen the net and ensure that all community and ■ Women’s networks and youth voluntary organisations are connected. Pass this on to other information centres have databases interested groups. Send us your contact details. We are particularly that the Assembly can use interested in email addresses as we wish to minimise printing and postage costs. ■ Inclusion needs to be the name of The Assembly Commission abides by the statutory list for the game: include more marginalised consultation. We also add additional names to that list depending on groups again issues based, deaf, that consultation. Send us your details to be included on that lists. blind etc and will be seen as a very positive step. We have made great strides in publishing material in other languages and formats. We are working to ensure better inclusion for all.