The Assembly heard a Finance Minister statement launching a public consultation on reform of parental responsibility, including a form of Jade's law, while the Economy Minister set out five measures to strengthen protections for home heating oil consumers. A valid petition of concern meant the Final Stage of the Irish-medium Education (Workforce Plan) Bill was debated but not voted on, and members later debated an extension to the Committee Stage of the Display of Flags and Emblems Bill. Health questions covered inflammatory bowel disease services and the temporary suspension of inpatient maternity services at Daisy Hill Hospital.

The Speaker told Members that a valid petition of concern had been presented before the 4.00 pm deadline for the Final Stage of the Irish-medium Education (Workforce Plan) Bill. The debate proceeded, but the vote was not taken because section 42 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 requires a 14-day consideration period.

In Members' statements, Mr Sheehan promoted Gaeilge24 and urged Members to use Irish in the Chamber. Mr Martin and Mr Dickson spoke ahead of Remembrance Day and Armistice Day, praising military service and calling for remembrance to be treated with sensitivity. Mr Durkan and Mr Delargy paid tribute to Bloody Sunday campaigner John Kelly, who was buried on Monday. Mrs Mason marked the 40th anniversary of Ulster Resistance and called for answers about weapons and collusion, while Ms Forsythe condemned a sectarian attack on a Royal British Legion parade in Downpatrick. Other statements covered consumer protection for home heating oil, World Diabetes Day, Lung Cancer Awareness Month and menopause care.

The Finance Minister, Mr O'Dowd, launched a consultation on family law reform and parental responsibility. He said the law should place children's welfare first where the most serious criminal offending has occurred within a family. He told the Assembly that since 2020, 30 women had been killed in domestic homicides, including 15 killed by a current or former partner, and that 14 of those 15 were mothers. In at least seven cases, the perpetrator was reported to be the father of the victim's children. The consultation examines automatic restrictions on parental responsibility after serious criminal offending, including unlawful killing, attempted murder, certain serious sexual offences, conception through rape and the most serious offences against children. Mr O'Dowd said: 'I want to proceed with a Jade's law; I want to ensure that legislation is placed on the books.' He insisted that the courts would retain a role and that child welfare would remain paramount. Members raised questions about interim protections before conviction, cross-departmental work and whether parental responsibility removal would end access rights. Mr O'Dowd said removal would leave no legal basis for an offender to demand rights, and he acknowledged a gap before court proceedings conclude that he would explore in the consultation.

The Economy Minister, Dr Archibald, gave a statement on the Competition and Markets Authority home heating oil market study. She said the CMA found the local market generally competitive and that international wholesale prices accounted for around 83% of the retail price. She set out five changes: a suppliers register using HMRC's registered dealers in controlled oil scheme; an opt-in register of vulnerable consumers run by the Consumer Council; a priority service programme for vulnerable consumers; a mandatory code of conduct built on the Oil Federation voluntary code; and a strengthened consumer redress role for the Consumer Council, potentially similar to the Energy Ombudsman in Britain. She said the CMA did not recommend economic or price regulation and that the approach would enhance existing bodies rather than add a new regulatory regime. Members pressed her on whether vulnerable people would be missed, on breach of contract cases, on primary legislation and on the Utility Regulator's role. Mr Honeyford said the measures would not reduce prices. Dr Archibald replied that the biggest problem was cost, linked to global events, and that the Executive did not have the financial firepower to support consumers directly. Asked about President Trump's declaration that the war in Iran was over, she said: 'I have no confidence in anything that President Trump says; it can change on a daily basis.'

The Assembly debated a Committee motion to extend the Committee Stage of the Display of Flags and Emblems Bill to 12 February 2027. The Committee Chair, Mr Buckley, said the Committee had divided five to four on the date and that further scrutiny was needed because the Bill would place a far-reaching statutory duty on the Department for Infrastructure with potential cost implications. He argued: 'Assembly scrutiny is a democratic safeguard, not an inconvenience.' He criticised the Alliance Party and the Bill sponsor, Ms Bradshaw, over a closure motion at Second Stage, saying it had cut short debate. Ms Bradshaw said the motion was a closure motion, not a censure motion, and that she had not moved it. The Deputy Chair, Mr Stewart, supported the extension, citing departmental concerns about the Bill and the Committee's heavy legislative workload. The Speaker noted that the closure motion had been procedurally allowed. The debate was suspended at 1.00 pm and resumed after Question Time.

In health questions, Mr Butler was asked about access to specialist inflammatory bowel disease teams. He said patients have access to multidisciplinary services, flare helplines, the regional FlareCare service and flare cards. He acknowledged patient frustration but pointed to work on data, benchmarking against Crohn's and Colitis UK standards and a dedicated IBD module in Encompass. Ms Flynn raised overlapping symptoms with ovarian cancer, and Mr Butler said specialists needed to be aware that symptoms can point to other conditions.

On Daisy Hill Hospital, Mr Butler said the Southern Trust had not been able to secure the consultant obstetric workforce needed to maintain inpatient maternity services. He said all births and inpatient maternity care would be temporarily consolidated at Craigavon Area Hospital from 23 November, with elective caesarean activity transferred from 9 November. He said the trust's intention remained to restore services at Daisy Hill if sufficient clinical expertise could be recruited and retained. Mr Wilson asked for evidence of a viable long-term future. Mr Butler cited the recruitment of midwives and all-island pressures on obstetric recruitment. Ms McAllister raised long-term workforce planning. Ms Finnegan asked about women travelling to Drogheda, and Mr Butler said the HSE had advised it was not in a position to provide consultant obstetric staff to Daisy Hill and that he had discussed the issue with Irish Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. He said: 'I wish to see the return of consultant-led inpatient maternity services to Daisy Hill Hospital.'