Minutes of Proceedings

Assembly Commission Minutes 27 January 2025.pdf (132.48 kb)

The Northern Ireland Assembly Commission

Meeting Venue: Parliament Buildings, Room 30

Meeting date: Monday, 27 January 2025

Meeting Time: 3.36 pm

Assembly Commission Members:

Edwin Poots MLA, Speaker (Chairperson)

Trevor Clarke MLA

Nuala McAllister MLA

Andy Allen MBE MLA

Colin McGrath MLA

Officials present:

Lesley Hogg, Clerk/Chief Executive

Steven Baxter, Director of Corporate Services

Tara Caul, Director of Legal, Governance and Research Services

Gareth McGrath, Director of Parliamentary Services

Robin Ramsey, Adviser to the Speaker/Head of Corporate Support

Janet Hughes, Clerical Supervisor

Others in attendance:

Alice McKelvey, Legal Adviser (Item 3)

David Lynn, Roof Project Manager (Item 3)

The meeting commenced at 3.36 pm.

1.      APOLOGIES

Apologies were received from Sinéad Ennis.

2.      DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

No interests were declared by Members.

Alice McKelvey and David Lynn joined the meeting at 3.36 pm for agenda item 3.

The Speaker advised that the next item of business would be discussed in closed session. 

The meeting went into closed session from 3.26 pm until 4.18 pm.

3.         DEFECTS IN THE ROOF OF PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS – SETTLEMENT AUTHORITY

Alice McKelvey and David Lynn left the meeting at 4.18 pm.

4.      REQUEST FROM STEWART DICKSON MLA FOR THE NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY TO HOST A MEETING OF THE MONITORING COMMITTEE OF THE CONGRESS OF LOCAL AND REGIONAL AUTHORITIES IN EUROPE (CLRAE), IN BELFAST, IN JULY 2025

The Speaker noted that following initial consideration of a paper on Stewart Dickson’s request for the Northern Ireland Assembly to host a meeting of CLRAE in Belfast, in July 2025, at the Assembly Commission meeting on 15 January 2025, it had been agreed that further clarity on the request would be obtained and that Members would take a decision on the request at its next meeting.

Members were subsequently provided with additional information in relation to the request from discussions with Mr Dickson and, following further consideration, agreed to not accept the request.

5.     ANY OTHER BUSINESS

The Speaker updated Members on a recent meeting he had had with the First Minister (FM) and deputy First Minister (dFM) in relation to proposals for the Historical Institutional Abuse memorial.

The Speaker noted that the FM and dFM had met with a number of victims’ groups individually in order to see how agreement might be achieved, and that they would be engaging further with the groups on a proposal which may have the potential to achieve agreement.

The Speaker advised that he had emphasised to FM and dFM that the Assembly Commission’s priority was that there was agreement amongst the victims’ groups and that if this was achieved he would bring a proposal to the Assembly Commission for decision.

6.    DATE OF NEXT MEETING

Officials to liaise with Members in relation to arranging a date for the next meeting.

The meeting ended at 4.21 pm.