Committee for The Executive Office
Wednesday 22 May 2024
Committee for the Execuitve Office minutes of proceedings 22 May 2024.pdf (161.34 kb)
Meeting Location: Room 30, Parliament Buildings
Present:
Ms Paula Bradshaw MLA (Chairperson)
Ms Connie Egan MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Pádraig Delargy MLA
Mr Harry Harvey MLA
Mr Brian Kingston MLA
Ms Emma Sheerin MLA
Ms Claire Sugden MLA
Apologies:
Ms Sinéad McLaughlin MLA
Ms Carál Ní Chuilín MLA
In Attendance:
Mr Michael Potter (Assembly Clerk)
Mr Tom Armstrong (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Ms Andrienne Magee (Clerical Supervisor)
The meeting commenced at 2.00pm in open session
1. Apologies
As noted above.
2. Declarations of Interest
There were no declarations of interest.
3. Chairperson’s Business
The Chair commented on the Mother & Baby Institution legislation that will be coming forward from the First and deputy First Minister.
4. Draft Minutes
Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 15 May 2024.
5. Matters Arising
The Committee discussed a Clerk’s Brief on planning for a Committee inquiry into Gaps in Equality Legislation.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to amend the terms of reference for approval at next week’s meeting.
6. Oral Evidence Session – Departmental Briefing on Historical Institutional Abuse
The witnesses joined the meeting at 2.04pm
Members received a briefing from:
- Patrick Gallagher, Director, Victims and Survivors Division, The Executive Office
- David Hall, HIA Implementation Branch, The Executive Office
The witnesses provided the Committee an overview of the Department’s work on Historical Institutional Abuse.
The oral evidence was followed by a question and answer session.
Agreed: The Department agreed to send the Committee details on the legal costs and cap on fees involved with the Redress Board.
The Chairperson thanked the witnesses for their attendance.
The witnesses left the meeting at 2.39pm
7. Oral Evidence Session – Historical Institutional Abuse Stakeholder Groups
The witness joined the meeting at 2.39pm
Members received a briefing from:
- Peter Finnegan, Member, St Patrick’s Survivors Group
The witness provided the Committee an overview of their work on Historical Institutional Abuse and problems they have had with the Redress Board.
The oral evidence was followed by a question and answer session.
The Chairperson thanked the witnesses for their attendance.
The witness left the meeting at 3.01pm
8. Draft Forward Work Programme
Members considered the draft forward work programme.
Agreed:Members agreed to commence oral briefings for the Committee inquiry on 11 September by inviting the Equality Commission.
Agreed:Members agreed that they were content to proceed with the briefings as set out in the work programme.
9. Correspondence
i. The Committee noted the summary of Committee correspondence.
ii. The Committee discussed a response from the First Minister and deputy First Minister on the East-West Council Meeting of 26 May 2024.
Agreed: Members agreed to write to the First Minister and deputy First Minister regarding inter-governmental relations.
iii. The Committee noted a response from the Department on Financial Scrutiny.
iv. The Committee discussed a response from the Public Prosecution Service on the number of HIA Prosecutions.
Agreed:Members agreed to contact the PSNI to get information on these numbers.
v. The Committee noted a letter from the Minister of State for Northern Ireland to the Chair of the House of Lords Sub-Committee on the Windsor Framework on agri-food Tariff Rate Quotas.
vi. The Committee noted the Fourteenth Report of the Examiner of Statutory Rules.
vii. The Committee noted a response from Carson McDowell Solicitors on behalf of the Sisters of St Louis regarding redress contributions.
viii. The Committee noted a response from the Department for Communities on housing support for HIA tenants.
10. Any Other Business
i. The Committee discussed the First 100 Days Objectives of the Executive Office.
Agreed:Members agreed to send a letter to the Department to seek an update on the objectives so they can inform the Committee of progress.
ii. The Committee discussed the UN Committee on the Rights of Disabled People report concerning the rights of disabled people in the United Kingdom.
Agreed: Members agreed to send a letter to the Minister for Communities to seek an update on what actions his Department will be taking in response to the report.
iii. The Committee discussed the 2024-25 Budget.
Agreed: Members agreed to send a letter to the Department seeking an urgent breakdown of the Executive Office budget for 2024-25
11. Date, Time and Place of next meeting
The next meeting will be held on Wednesday 29 May 2024 at 2:00pm in Room 30, Parliament Buildings.
The meeting was adjourned at 3.07pm
Paula Bradshaw MLA
Chairperson, Committee for the Executive Office
