Stormont’s Speaker Edwin Poots has said the behaviour of some MLAs is “undermining the concept of debate” at the Northern Ireland Assembly.
In a letter to all MLAs, the Speaker said some had been “discourteous” by not being in place in the Assembly chamber when called to ask a question.
He also returned to recent comments where he had reminded MLAs that the dress code in the debating chamber is “smart”.
In his letter, Mr Poots said he understood the issue of how MLAs dress in the Assembly chamber may “appear trivial to some” but said they “underline some significant principles”.
He added: “Sittings of the Assembly are not just another engagement in Members’ diaries and this is not just another meeting room.
“At any one time there are only 90 people who have the immense privilege of participating in this Chamber and they are given that privilege by the people.”
The Speaker continued: “These are not casual matters. They require a level of formality to ensure that these responsibilities are discharged properly and with fairness to all Members.
“Therefore, issues like how we present ourselves and avoiding clutter in the Chamber are purely small symbols of protecting the dignity of the Chamber.”
Mr Poots said the “development and maintenance” of parliamentary culture at Stormont had been affected by the fact that the Assembly has not been operating consistently over the past 27 years.
Mr Poots said the development of parliamentary culture at Stormont had been affected because the Assembly had not been operating consistently (Liam McBurney/PA)
He said: “However, upholding a parliamentary culture around the serious business we have to do, has a major part to play in restoring and increasing confidence in the Assembly.”
The Speaker then turned in his letter to issues around “standards of debate”.
He said a number of MLAs had not been in the Assembly chamber when they were called to ask questions of ministers.
He said: “It is extremely discourteous and disrespectful for Members not to make the effort to be in place to ask their question.”
Mr Poots said on “too many occasions” MLAs entered the Chamber during a ministerial statement expecting to ask a question.
He said: “Not only is this discourteous to other Members but, in focusing only on their own remarks, Members are undermining the concept of debate.”
The letter concluded: “All of these points are about respecting the business we are here to do and the people who have put us here to do it.
“As Speaker, I will do my best to ensure our business runs in a way which does that but I can only do that with the cooperation of Members.
“I ask all Members to reflect on the principles behind the points I have raised last week and today.”