Assembly and Executive Review Committee (AERC)
Minutes of Proceedings - Tuesday 7 October 2025
Assembly and Executive Review Committee (AERC) - 7 October 2025.pdf (188.45 kb)
Meeting Location: Room 21, Parliament Buildings
Present:
Jonathan Buckley MLA (Chairperson)
Pat Sheehan MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Sinéad Ennis MLA
Michelle Guy MLA
Michelle McIlveen MLA
Carál Ní Chuilín MLA
Matthew O'Toole MLA
John Stewart MLA
Apologies:
Gary Middleton MLA
In Attendance:
Shane McAteer, Committee Clerk
Ashleigh Mitford, Senior Assistant Clerk
Elaine Farrell, Assistant Clerk
Alison Ferguson, Clerical Supervisor
Laura Gourley, Clerical Officer
The meeting commenced at 9.30 a.m. in open session
1. Apologies
As above.
2. Declaration of Interests
The Chairperson advised Members of the ongoing requirement to declare relevant financial or other interests as and when they arise and before taking part in any Assembly proceedings, including Committee proceedings, relating to that matter.
Carál Ní Chuilín declared an interest in relation to the reform options being considered under agenda item 5 in that she is the Principal Deputy Speaker.
3. Draft minutes
Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 16 September 2025.
John Stewart joined the meeting at 9.32 a.m.
4. Matters arising
None.
5. Review into Assembly and Executive Reform - oral evidence session
Agreed: The Committee agreed that the oral evidence session will be recorded by Hansard.
The following witnesses joined the meeting at 9.33 a.m.
Dr Sean Haughey, Institute of Irish Studies, University of Liverpool
Professor Jon Tonge, University of Liverpool
Professor Paul Dixon, Universities of Leicester and Queen Mary College.
The witnesses briefed the Committee and this was followed by a question and answer session.
Michelle McIlveen joined the meeting at 9.38 a.m.
Carál Ní Chuilín left the meeting at 9.53 a.m.
Michelle McIlveen left the meeting at 10.24 a.m.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to request follow-up information from Dr Haughey on a number of issues discussed during his briefing.
The Chairperson thanked the witnesses for their attendance at the meeting.
The Committee discussed the list of additional stakeholder panels to be invited to provide oral evidence on the review.
Agreed: The Committee agreed the suggested composition for the additional stakeholder panels to be invited to provide oral evidence on the review.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to have one panel of witnesses at each scheduled monthly meeting and to continue to assess the need for additional Tuesday AM meetings as the Review progresses.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to invite oral evidence on the review from the First Minister and deputy First Minister, previous holders of the office of First Minister and deputy First Minister, and the Northern Ireland Assembly parties.
Michelle Guy proposed that the AERC develops terms of reference for designing a civic/citizen engagement exercise as part of the review.
The Chairperson put the question on Michelle Guy's proposal.
The Committee divided: Ayes 4; Noes 1; Abstain 1.
Ayes
Sinéad Ennis
Michelle Guy
Matthew O'Toole
Pat Sheehan
Noes
Jonathan Buckley
Abstain
John Stewart
The proposal was carried.
Noted: The Committee noted that, as a first step, the Committee Clerk will seek advice from the Assembly Engagement Office on how a civic/citizen engagement exercise could be designed, including the related issues for the Committee to consider and decide upon.
6. Review of Assembly Committee engagement on cross-cutting Executive strategies - update on call for evidence
The Senior Assistant Clerk introduced this agenda item and provided an update on the Committee's Call for Evidence for the review.
Noted: The Committee noted the progress to date on the Call for Evidence for the review.
Agreed: The Committee noted that The Executive Office (TEO) has not yet provided a response to the Call for Evidence and agreed that, on the basis that TEO proposed the review, it would write to request TEO views.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to share responses from Departments to the Call for Evidence with their corresponding statutory committees for information.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to consider responses received after the closing date for the Call for Evidence, which includes responses from other legislatures.
Noted: The Committee noted that a summary of all responses received to the Call for Evidence will be provided at a future meeting.
7. Review into the development of a formal process and guidance on the handling of Westminster Statutory Instruments which include a role for the Assembly - update on the call for evidence
The Senior Assistant Clerk introduced this agenda item and provided an update on the Committee's Call for Evidence for the review.
Noted: The Committee noted the progress to date on the Call for Evidence for the review.
Agreed: The Committee noted that TEO has not yet provided a response to the Call for Evidence and agreed that, on the basis that TEO proposed the review, it would write to request TEO views.
Noted: The Committee noted that the Senior Assistant Clerk will meet with officials from the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee in the Scottish Parliament to discuss the position in Scotland and will update the Committee in due course.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to consider responses received after the closing date for the Call for Evidence.
Noted: The Committee noted that a summary of all the responses to the Committee's call for evidence will be provided at a future meeting.
8. End of Session Report
The Committee considered the draft End of Session Report for the period 3 February 2024 - 31 August 2025
Agreed: The Committee agreed that it was content with the Remit, Powers and Membership section of the report.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that it was content with the Key Activities, Outputs and Achievements section of the report.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that it was content with paragraphs 1 and 2 of the report.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that it was content with paragraphs 3 - 5 of the report.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that it was content with paragraph 6 of the report.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that it was content with paragraph 7 and the Appendix on Committee Expenditure.
Noted: The Committee noted that the End of Session report will be published on the Committee webpage in due course.
9. Correspondence
None.
10. AOB
None.
11. Date, Time and Place of the next meeting
The next meeting of the AERC will take place on Tuesday 4 November 2025 at 9.30 a.m. in Room 21.
The meeting was adjourned at 11.33 a.m.
Jonathan Buckley MLA
Chairperson, Assembly and Executive Review Committee
4 November 2025
