East Derry MLAs ask most questions in the county

MLAs in East Derry have collectively tabled the second highest number of questions to government ministers over the course of the latest Assembly mandate.

Figures available on the NI Assembly on the final day of business detailed the number of questions tabled by each of the legislature's 90 MLAs during the most recent mandate.

East Derry's five representatives asked a total of 2,495 questions from January 2020 until March 2022 when the Assembly was functional.

The figure ranked second highest behind North Down (4,482), while fellow Derry constituencies Foyle (1,962) and Mid Ulster (990) ranked 8th and 16th out of the 18 areas.

Assembly members may table up to five written questions daily, and may also submit their names for inclusion in a computer ballot should they wish to ask an oral question of a government minister.

Just one MLA within East Derry, Mid Ulster and Foyle is a serving minister – Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill – and therefore is not eligible to table questions.

Out of County Derry's three constituencies, Independent MLA Claire Sugden tabled the most questions (1,355) throughout the mandate.

The East Derry representative ranked fourth highest in the whole Assembly, behind the TUV's Jim Allister (1,694), Independent Alex Easton (1,635) and PBP's Gerry Carroll (1,611).

Ms Sugden said Assembly Questions were an important tool for holding government ministers to account.

“If we are not holding ministers, processes and policies to account then we are not doing our job,” she told the County Derry Post.

“It is an MLA’s job to hold Executive ministers to account and we therefore have a responsibility to use all the tools at our disposal to do that.

“We are allowed up to five written questions per day when the Assembly is sitting and given the number of issues I deal with, these are nearly always used up, day by day and week by week.

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“Questions come from a variety of sources, but particularly from the concerns and inquiries of constituents.

“If a policy or law isn’t doing what it is supposed to – and helping people with their lives – then we have a responsibility as MLAs to, firstly, find out why, and then push for ways to improve it.

East Derry MLA Claire Sugden asked the highest number of questions in County Derry.

“Along with written Assembly questions, I also regularly use oral questions for the same purpose.

“I write to ministers directly, seeking answers for constituents, and use my presence in the Assembly chamber itself and on Executive committees as an opportunity to do the same.

“Luckily I have the freedom of my independence to scrutinise equally every minister, regardless of what party they belong to,” she added.

Unsurprisingly, having only been co-opted last year, Sinn Féin's Pádraig Delargy and Ciara Ferguson had tabled the least amount of questions, ranking 76th and 79th with 60 and 24 respectively.

Third lowest, having served the whole mandate, was Mid Ulster Sinn Féin representative Linda Dillon who asked 115 questions, ranking 70th out of 90 representatives.

SDLP representative Sinéad McLaughlin tabled the most questions of all the Foyle MLAs, ranking ninth overall with 1,056 questions.

The largest amount of questions from Mid Ulster MLAs came from Sinn Féin's Emma Sheerin with 345, leaving her 35th on the list.

With questions designed to scrutinise the work of government ministers, Independent members and those from parties not in government predictably topped the overall individual list.

However, collectively, the DUP, who held the role of First Minister throughout the mandate, tabled the highest amount of questions by party, with 7,805 being asked by their MLAs.

The SDLP recorded the second highest amount on 6,402, with Sinn Féin third (6,177), Alliance fourth (4,344) and the UUP fifth (2,743).

You can view the data for all eligible MLAs using the table below. Those not applicable due to holding Minister roles have been excluded.

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