Committee for The Executive Office

Minutes of Proceedings - 28 February 2024

Committee for The Executive Office - Minutes of Proceedings 28 February 2024.pdf (160.85 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

Ms Sinéad McLaughlin MLA

Ms Carál Ní Chuilín MLA

Ms Emma Sheerin MLA

Ms Claire Sugden MLA

Apologies:

Mr Brian Kingston MLA

In Attendance:

Mr Michael Potter (Assembly Clerk)

Mr Tom Armstrong (Assistant Assembly Clerk)

Ms Andrienne Magee (Clerical Supervisor)

Mr Adam Byrne (Clerical Officer)

The meeting commenced at 2.01pm in open session

1. Apologies

As noted above.

2. Chairperson’s Business

The Chairperson informed Members that the Chair and Clerk have been invited to represent the Committee at St Patrick’s Day events in Washington DC.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that the Chair and Clerk can attend these events and therefore there will be no Committee meeting on 13th March 2024.

3. Draft Minutes

Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 21 February 2024.

4. Matters Arising

There were no Matters Arising.

5. Oral Evidence Session – Head of Northern Ireland Civil Service

The First Minister and deputy First Minister joined the meeting at 2.03pm

Members received a briefing from:

  • Michelle O’Neill MLA, First Minister
  • Emma Little-Pengelly MLA, deputy First Minister

The oral evidence was followed by a question and answer session.

The Chairperson thanked the First Minister and deputy First Minister for their attendance.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department to ask for updates on the following;

  • Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme
  • Historical Institutional Abuse Redress Scheme
  • Mother and Baby Homes Redress Scheme
  • Proposed Victims and Survivors Bereavement Scheme

The First Minister and deputy First Minister left the meeting at 3.00pm

6. Draft Forward Work Programme

Agreed: Members agreed that they were content to proceed with the briefings as set out in the work programme.

7. Correspondence

 i. The Committee noted the summary of Committee Correspondence.

 ii. The Committee noted a memo from the Clerk to the Finance Committee and a Report on the Review of the Effects of the Public Service Pensions Act (NI) 2024.

iii. The Committee noted a memo from the Clerk to the Windsor Framework Democratic Scrutiny Committee regarding Executive Office witnesses appearing before the Committee on 22 February 2024.

iv. The Committee noteda press release from the Department of Finance regarding the Irish Government’s commitment of €800million for Shared Island projects.

v. The Committee noteda press release from the Executive Office regarding the official opening of Limavady Shared Education Campus.

vi. The Committee noted an invitation to the Chair and Deputy Chair from the Regional Trauma Network to the “Our Journey So Far” event on 29 February 2024.

vii. The Committee noted an invitation Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission to the “25th Anniversary Celebration of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission: A reflection of the past and looking to the future of NIHRC”.

8. Any Other Business

None.

9. Date, Time and Place of next meeting

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday 6 March 2024 at 2:00pm in Room 30, Parliament Buildings.

The meeting was adjourned at 3.03pm

Paula Bradshaw MLA

Chairperson, Committee for the Executive Office

6 March 2024