There is a packed agenda for tonight’s monthly meeting of Belfast City Council (BCC), with a total of six motions to be debated by members and a further four motions to be tabled.
irst up we have a motion calling for equality for the LGBTQ community and the endorsement of the Government’s LGBTQ strategy.
Next up is motion highlighting the need to tackle waiting lists for diagnosing autism in children. If successful, the council will right to the Health Minister Robin Swann to take “all steps necessary” to address the problem.
Councillors will also be discussing charges for the use of ATMs, with a view to writing to the Financial Conduct Authority urging the body to cap the number of cash machines that charge for withdrawing cash.
People Before Profit councillors have tabled a motion regarding services at the Mater Hospital that were halted due to the pandemic. If successful, BCC will seek a cross-party meeting with Cathy Jack, the chief executive of the Belfast Trust, and a representative from the Department of Health, to discuss plans for the future of the hospital, post-Covid.
Following on from a similar motion which passed in the Assembly last month, councillors will debate supporting a ban on conversion therapy.
The final topic to be debated is the current pay rise dispute for public sector workers. If members vote in favour, BCC will write to Finance Minister Conor Murphy, urging him to “go back to the negotiating table” with unions to secure a better deal than the 1% non-consolidated salary increase previously offered.
Four other motions will be tabled and referred back to committee for further debate. These include installing a statue of anti-slavery campaigner Mary Ann McCraken, the extension of the Belfast Bikes scheme, and the recent violence and disorder in the city.
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