The Northern Ireland Assembly heard a wide range of urgent constituency and policy concerns on Tuesday, with the absence of a agreed Executive Budget for 2026-2029/30 drawing sharp criticism from the Opposition, alongside serious warnings about emergency surgery provision, cancer waiting times, and violence against school staff.

SDLP leader Matthew O'Toole delivered one of the sharpest interventions of the morning, accusing Executive parties of breaking the law by failing to pass a Budget nearly two months into the financial year. "The Northern Ireland Act 1998 is clear that a Budget must be set by the beginning of the financial year, which is 1 April. None has been set," he told the Chamber. O'Toole argued that the Finance Minister's position of waiting on further funding from the UK Government was leaving public services at risk, pointing to warnings about domestic violence funding and community relations funding as evidence of real-world consequences. "We are failing community and voluntary services by not taking responsibility," he said, urging Executive parties to "do our jobs" and pass a Budget.

Sinn Fein MLA Jemma Dolan raised serious concerns about the continued suspension of emergency general surgery at the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) in Enniskillen, which has now lasted more than three years since a so-called temporary closure in December 2022. Dolan criticised what she described as a blame-shifting exercise between the Western Health and Social Care Trust, the Department of Health, and the Strategic Planning and Performance Group, saying "there is no plan, timeline or accountability." She also noted that the Health Minister had not responded to a priority written question now seven days overdue, adding to frustration in Fermanagh and west Tyrone over access to life-saving services.

DUP MLA Steve Clarke raised an urgent concern about emailed threats sent to multiple schools in the South Antrim constituency, which referenced bombs, knives and guns. Clarke confirmed he had spoken to police and school principals, noting that while authorities hoped the threat was a hoax, schools were treating it seriously. He condemned the impact on families, with many parents choosing to keep children at home, and called for a swift police investigation and prosecution.

Alliance MLA Sian Mulholland used the occasion of World IBD Day to highlight the experiences of her constituent Mark, who has campaigned on inflammatory bowel disease issues for nearly 20 years. She cited IBD UK figures showing more than 17,000 people in Northern Ireland live with Crohn's disease or colitis, and raised concerns about lengthy waits for specialist referral, with 50% of patients waiting more than four weeks after first presenting to a GP. Mulholland also highlighted a significant gap in psychological support, with only 19% of IBD patients in Northern Ireland reporting being asked about their mental health by their clinical team.

Alliance MLA Peter Burrows called for greater attention to violence against teachers and classroom assistants, citing Education Authority figures showing 598 teachers and 1,974 classroom assistants were assaulted in the past year. Burrows described the issue as a "taboo" that the education system was reluctant to confront, and called on the Education Minister to introduce an injury reduction plan and empower schools to deal more effectively with disruptive pupils. He also raised concern about a proposal to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 14, warning it could leave assaults and other harmful behaviours by under-14s without legal consequence.

Alliance MLA Stewart Dickson highlighted Northern Ireland's worsening cancer statistics ahead of chairing the Assembly's all-party group on cancer. He told the Chamber that 10,700 people are diagnosed with cancer each year in Northern Ireland, a rate of 29 people per day, while treatment waiting times have deteriorated sharply, with only 31% of patients beginning treatment within 62 days of a red-flag referral in 2025, down from 83% in 2013. Dickson called on the Executive to deliver an urgent plan to cut waiting times, implement tobacco and vaping legislation, expand targeted lung cancer screening, and invest in life sciences research.

Sinn Fein MLA Declan Kearney marked the anniversary of the Nakba, speaking partly in Irish, and called on the European Union to go further than its recent decision to impose sanctions on illegal Israeli settlers. Kearney called for a full arms embargo, the termination of the EU-Israel association agreement, and comprehensive boycott, divestment, and sanctions measures, stating that "Israel's occupation and actions are violations of international law."

DUP MLA Gareth Brooks used his statement to address illegal immigration, praising recent BBC reporting for exposing people-trafficking networks operating across Europe and into the UK. He criticised what he described as reluctance among some politicians to engage with the issue, saying "illegal immigration is the issue that dare not speak its name" and pledging his party would continue to address it directly.

Before Members' Statements began, the Speaker addressed a point of order from the previous day concerning remarks by TUV MLA Timothy Gaston about the Irish Language Commissioner. The Speaker confirmed that while Members are entitled to scrutinise public bodies robustly, "references to Hitler, the Nazis and the Holocaust outside of a specific or historical context are not likely to be helpful to constructive debate," and called on the Member to reflect on the offence caused.