Proposed by Councillor Canavan,
Seconded by Councillor Black,
“This Council recognises that mitigation packages have provided vital support to the most vulnerable members of our society and should continue to be provided as Tory austerity measures continue to impact.
The Council notes with deep concern the range of reports published recently which highlight the serious risk of greater hardship for many within our community, if welfare mitigations do not continue beyond March 2020. These reports include:
• Welfare Reform: Mitigations on a Cliff Edge
• Cliff Edge Coalition NI
• NIAO: Welfare Reforms in NI
The Council calls on all parties to support the need to continue welfare mitigations beyond March 2020 and agrees to write to the Department for Communities calling for it to take all steps necessary to ensure that mitigations schemes will continue to help the most vulnerable in our community.”
(To be debated by the Council)
Minutes:
In accordance with notice on the agenda, Councillor Canavan proposed:
“This Council recognises that mitigation packages have provided vital support to the most vulnerable members of our society and should continue to be provided as Tory austerity measures continue to impact.
The Council notes with deep concern the range of reports published recently which highlight the serious risk of greater hardship for many within our community, if welfare mitigations do not continue beyond March 2020. These reports include:
• Welfare Reform: Mitigations on a Cliff Edge
• Cliff Edge Coalition NI
• NIAO: Welfare Reforms in NI
The Council calls on all parties to support the need to continue welfare mitigations beyond March 2020 and agrees to write to the Department for Communities calling for it to take all steps necessary to ensure that mitigations schemes will continue to help the most vulnerable in our community.”
The motion was seconded by Councillor Black.
Amendment
Moved by Alderman Kingston,
Seconded by Councillor Pankhurst,
That the motion under the heading “Welfare Mitigation Schemes”, as proposed by Councillor Canavan and seconded by Councillor Black, be amended to provide for the addition of the following at the end of the motion:
“and calls for the immediate restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive so that it can take decisions and actions on this important issue.”
On a vote by show of hands twenty-eight Members voted for the amendment and nineteen against and it was declared carried.
Amendment
Moved by Councillor Matt Collins,
Seconded by Councillor Michael Collins,
That the motion under the heading “Welfare Mitigation Schemes”, as proposed by Councillor Canavan and seconded by Councillor Black, as amended, be amended to provide for the removal of everything after the words “This Council” in the first paragraph and the insertion of the following:
“condemns the decision to allow Welfare Reform into Belfast by the Executive in 2015, via a legislative consent motion.
The Council recognises that mitigation packages have provided vital support to the most vulnerable members of society and should continue to be provided as Tory austerity measures continue to impact.
The Council recognises also that said mitigation packages do not go far enough. Thousands are already suffering, are at food banks, are homeless, all because of Welfare Reforms, all while the mitigations have been in place.
The Council calls on all Parties to support: the call to end Welfare Reform and to replace it with a welfare system that is more equal and humane; the need to continue welfare mitigations as an alleviating measure until such time as a fairer system is implemented, as outlined in the range of reports published recently, which highlight the risk of greater hardship if mitigations do not continue post 2020. The reports include:
· Welfare Reform: Mitigations on a Cliff Edge;
· Cliff Edge Coalition NI; and
· NIAO: Welfare Reforms in NI.
The Council agrees to write to the Department for Communities calling for it to take all steps necessary to ensure that mitigation schemes will continue to help the most vulnerable in our society.”
On a recorded vote, ten Members voted for the amendment and thirty-eight against and it was declared lost.
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For 10
Councillors Matt Collins, Michael Collins, de Faoite, Ferguson, Flynn, Heading, Lyons, McKeown, O’Hara and Whyte.
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Against 38
The Lord Mayor (Councillor Finucane); The Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor McReynolds); The High Sheriff (Councillor Sandford); Aldermen Haire, Kingston and McCoubrey; and Councillors D. Baker, S. Baker, Beattie, Black, Brooks, Bunting, Canavan, Carson, Cobain, Corr, Dorrian, Garrett, Graham, Groves, Hargey, Hussey, Hutchinson, M. Kelly, T. Kelly, Kyle, Magee, Magennis, McAllister, McAteer, McLaughlin, McMullan, Mulholland, Newton, Nicholl, Pankhurst, Verner and Walsh.
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Amendment
Moved by Councillor Magee,
Seconded by Councillor Hargey,
That the motion under the heading “Welfare Mitigation Schemes”, as proposed by Councillor Canavan and seconded by Councillor Black, as amended, be amended further to provide for the addition of the following at the start of the motion:
“The policy of austerity and welfare cuts imposed by the British Government is wrong and should be reversed.”
On a vote by show of hands thirty-three Members voted for the amendment and twelve against and it was declared carried.
The original motion, as amended, was thereupon put to the Council as the substantive motion and passed as follows:
“The policy of austerity and welfare cuts imposed by the British Government is wrong and should be reversed.
This Council recognises that mitigation packages have provided vital support to the most vulnerable members of our society and should continue to be provided as Tory austerity measures continue to impact.
The Council notes with deep concern the range of reports published recently which highlight the serious risk of greater hardship for many within our community, if welfare mitigations do not continue beyond March 2020. These reports include:
• Welfare Reform: Mitigations on a Cliff Edge;
• Cliff Edge Coalition NI; and
• NIAO: Welfare Reforms in NI.
The Council calls on all parties to support the need to continue welfare mitigations beyond March 2020, agrees to write to the Department for Communities calling for it to take all steps necessary to ensure that mitigations schemes will continue to help the most vulnerable in our community and calls for the immediate restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive so that it can take decisions and actions on this important issue.”