Committee for The Executive Office
Minutes of Proceedings Wednesday 17 April 2024
Committee for The Executive Office minutes of proceedings 17 April 2024.pdf (168.49 kb)
Meeting Location: Room 30, Parliament Buildings
Present:
Ms Paula Bradshaw MLA (Chairperson)
Ms Connie Egan MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Harry Harvey MLA
Mr Brian Kingston MLA
Ms Sinéad McLaughlin MLA
Ms Emma Sheerin MLA
Mr Pádraig Delargy MLA
Ms Carál Ní Chuilín MLA
Apologies:
Ms Claire Sugden MLA
In Attendance:
Mr Michael Potter (Assembly Clerk)
Mr Neal Flanagan (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Ms Andrienne Magee (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Adam Byrne (Clerical Officer)
The meeting commenced at 2.06 pm in open session
1. Apologies
Apologies were received from Ms Claire Sugden.
2. Declaration of Members’ Interests
There were no declarations of interest.
3. Chairperson’s Business
The Chairperson welcomed reports that Barnardo’s and the Good Shepherd Sisters are prepared to make an interim payment in relation to historical institutional child abuse.
4. Draft Minutes
Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 10 April 2024.
5. Matters Arising
i. The Chairperson referred to correspondence from Gerry McCann of Rosetta Trust thanking the Committee for hearing its evidence at the 10 April 2024 meeting.
ii. The Chairperson referred to a letter from a spokesperson for the Saint Patrick Survivors stating that over 1000 survivors have not been successful or have withdrawn themselves from the HIA Redress Board process.
iii. The Chairperson referred members to a Clerk’s memo summarising potential HIA actions arising from the 10 April 2024 meeting.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to schedule oral evidence from the Department and the service delivery agencies and also to call the institutions to the Committee.
iv. The Chairperson referred members to a summary of deferred actions arising from correspondence from April 10 meeting.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to send correspondence as suggested in the Clerk’s note.
6. Oral Evidence Session – Chief Commissioners of the Equality Commission and the Human Rights Commission
Alyson Kilpatrick, Geraldine McGahey, Éilis Haughey and Roisin Mallon joined the meeting at 2.10 pm
Members received a briefing from:
- Alyson Kilpatrick, Chief Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission
- Geraldine McGahey, Chief Commissioner of the Equality Commission
- Éilis Haughey, Director, Human Rights after EU Withdrawal, Human Rights Commission
- Roisin Mallon, Director, Dedicated Mechanism Unit, Equality Commission
The witnesses provided the Committee with an overview of the work and priorities of the Equality Commission and the Human Rights Commission with particular respect to human rights and equality after the UK’s exit from the European Union.
The oral evidence was followed by a question and answer session.
Emma Sheeran declared an interest as a member of the Windsor Framework Democratic Scrutiny Committee.
Mr Brian Kingston MLA left the meeting at 3.20 pm
The Chairperson thanked the witnesses for their attendance.
The witnesses left the meeting at 3.22 pm
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Executive Office to request a rationale for its lack of response to the Human Rights Commission’s annual report.
7. Oral Briefing Session – Human Rights Consortium
Kevin Hanratty, Nuala Toman and Fergal McFerran joined the meeting at 3.23 pm
Members received a briefing from:
- Kevin Hanratty, Director, Human Rights Consortium
- Nuala Toman, Interim Head of Innovation and Impact, Disability Action
- Fergal McFerran, Policy and Public Affairs Manager, Children's Law Centre
The witnesses provided the Committee with an overview of the work and priorities of their respective organisations.
Mr Brian Kingston MLA rejoined the meeting at 3.26 pm
The oral evidence was followed by a question and answer session.
The Chairperson thanked the witnesses for their attendance.
The witnesses left the meeting at 4.21 pm
Agreed: The Committee agreed to return to the issue of gaps in human rights and equality matters in Northern Ireland compared with the rest of the UK and the RoI in a future meeting
8. House of Lords Constitution Committee Inquiry on the Governance of the Union
The Committee deferred consideration of this item until its next meeting.
9. Draft Forward Work Programme
Members considered a draft forward work programme.
Members considered a draft list of proposed organisations to invite to the oral evidence session on refugees on 1 May.
Agreed: Members agreed to include African and Caribbean Support Organisation NI (ACSONI) to the list.
Members considered a draft list of proposed organisations to invite to the evidence session on Violence against Women and Girls on 15 May
Agreed: Members agreed to examine a greater geographical balance in inviting witnesses for the meeting on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls.
Agreed: Members agreed to invite representatives from Women’s Centres to brief the Committee.
Agreed: Members agreed they were content to proceed with the briefings as set out in the forward work programme, as amended.
10. Correspondence
Members considered correspondence from Claire Hanna MP asking the Committee to conduct an inquiry into funding for the Victims and Survivors Service.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to consider Ms Hanna’s request at its strategic planning session on 24 April 2024.
Members considered correspondence from Phoenix Law in relation to clerical child abuse.
Agreed: Members agreed to invite Claire McKeegan to give evidence at the Mother and Baby Homes meeting on 29 May 2024.
Members considered correspondence from the First Minister and deputy First Minister in relation to Common Frameworks.
Agreed: Members agreed to write to the Department to ask for a list of Common Frameworks and their status.
Agreed: Members agreed to write to Statutory Committees to ask what Common Frameworks they have scrutinised and what Common Frameworks they are expecting from their Departments.
Members considered correspondence from Professor Colin Harvey in relation to the Panel of Experts for the Ad Hoc Committee on Human Rights.
Agreed: Members agreed to write to the Department to ask if a Panel of Experts is to be appointed.
11. Date, Time and Place of next meeting
The next meeting will be held on Wednesday 24 April 2024 at 2.00 pm in Room 30, Parliament Buildings.
The meeting was adjourned at 4.30 pm
Paula Bradshaw MLA
Chairperson, Committee for the Executive Office
24 April 2024
