Committee for The Executive Office
Minutes of proceedings 19 February 2025
Committee for the Executive Officee minutes of proceedings 19 February 2025.pdf (170.2 kb)
Meeting Location: Room 30, Parliament Buildings
Present:
Ms Paula Bradshaw MLA (Chairperson)
Mr Stewart Dickson MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Timothy Gaston MLA
Mr Brian Kingston MLA
Ms Áine Murphy MLA
Ms Carál Ní Chuilín MLA
Mr Harry Harvey MLA
Online:
Ms Sinéad McLaughlin MLA
Ms Claire Sugden MLA
Apologies:
None.
In Attendance:
Ms Róisín Kelly (Assembly Clerk)
Ms Sarah-Anne McKinley (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mr Neil Porter (Clerical Supervisor)
Ms Andrienne Magee (Clerical Officer)
The meeting commenced at 2.00pm in public session.
1. Apologies
As above.
2. Declarations of Interest
There were no declarations of interest.
3. Chairperson’s Business
The Chairperson welcomed Róisín Kelly to the Committee team as she will be clerking the Committee over the coming weeks.
The Chairperson thanked Michael Potter for his work and wished him well in the new work he is undertaking.
3.1 Data Breach
The Chairperson discussed correspondence from the Clerk Assistant regarding the data breach that occurred in the course of collecting information for the Inquiry into Gaps in Equality Legislation.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to note the correspondence pending further updates.
4. Draft Minutes
Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 12 February 2025.
5. Matters Arising
There were no matters arising.
6. Legacy Issues – Ulster Human Rights Watch and Decorum
The witnesses joined the meeting at 2.05pm.
Members received evidence from:
- Mr David Crabbe, President, Decorum NI
- Mr Robert Campbell, Chairman, Ulster Human Rights Watch
- Mr Axel Schmidt, Advocacy Support Manager, Ulster Human Rights Watch
The witnesses provided evidence on Legacy issues.
The oral evidence session was followed by a question and answer session.
Claire Sugden joined the meeting at 2.31pm.
Carál Ní Chuilín left the meeting at 2.44pm and returned at 2.48pm.
The Chairperson thanked the witnesses for their attendance.
The witnesses left the meeting at 3.15pm.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to distribute to Members the material provided by Ulster Human Rights Watch and Decorum NI.
7. Strategy for Victims and Survivors of the Troubles/Conflict 2024-2034 – Departmental Oral Briefing
The witnesses joined the meeting at 3.16pm.
Members received evidence from:
Mr Patrick Gallagher, Director of Victims and Survivors, The Executive Office
Ms Sinead Brown, Head of Victims and Survivors Unit, The Executive Office
Ms Julie Shirlow, Policy Lead for Victims and Survivors, The Executive Office
The witnesses provided evidence on matters relating to the Strategy for Victims and Survivors of the Troubles/Conflict 2024-2034.
The oral evidence session was followed by a question and answer session.
The Chairperson left the meeting at 3.25pm and returned at 3.28pm.
Carál Ní Chuilín left the meeting at 3.35pm and returned at 3.43pm.
Áine Murphy left the meeting at 3.52pm and returned at 3.57pm.
The Chairperson thanked the witnesses for their attendance.
The witnesses left the meeting at 3.59pm.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department to request the criteria for the Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme, including for victim’s families; and to request a written briefing on the support for the bereaved provided through TEO including how this is promoted.
A Member suggested that the Committee considers proposing the lighting-up of Parliament Buildings to mark the European Remembrance Day for Victims of Terrorism on 11 March 2025.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that the Clerk would provide a note on the Assembly Commission’s policy on the lighting-up of Parliament Buildings.
8. SL1 – The Fair Employment (Specification of Public Authorities) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2025
The Committee considered a proposal by the Department to make a statutory rule under powers conferred by Articles 50 and 51 of the Fair Employment and Treatment (Northern Ireland) Order 1998.
The proposed Statutory Rule will amend the Schedule to the Fair Employment (Specification of Public Authorities) Order (Northern Ireland) 2004. The Statutory Rule subject to the negative resolution procedure before the Assembly.
Agreed: The Committee for the Executive Office agreed that it was content for the Department to make the Statutory Rule.
9. Inquiry into Gaps in Equality Legislation
The Committee noted receipt of an options paper in relation to its Inquiry into Gaps in Equality Legislation.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to note the paper and forward any comments or suggestions they have to the Clerk before the meeting on 5 March 2025.
10. Draft Forward Work Programme
The Committee considered the draft Forward Work Programme.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to invite Relatives for Justice to next week’s Committee meeting to discuss legacy issues.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that Survivors Together could give evidence in closed session at the Committee meeting of 19 March 2025.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that it was content to proceed with the briefings as set out in the work programme.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that the clerk would provide a briefing paper for Committee consideration in relation to timescales for the provision of answers and committee papers; and to request a written briefing from the Department on response timeframes from the Department.
11. Correspondence
i. The Committee noted the summary of Committee correspondence spreadsheet.
ii. The Committee noted correspondence from the PSNI regarding Historical Institutional Abuse prosecutions.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the PSNI to clarify the marking on its correspondence and to seek a view on sharing the correspondence with HIA groups.
iii. The Committee noted a Press Release from Department for Communities in relation to the Truth Recovery Programme. The Public Records Office has issued a call for all surviving records relating to former Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses in Northern Ireland (1922-1995).
iv. The Committee noted correspondence from the Committee for Finance regarding a Departmental breakdown of NICS sickness levels and the associated policies and procedures currently under review to address the issue of sickness levels.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department to ask what action it is taking to address sick absence within TEO.
v. The Committee noted correspondence from the Committee for Finance providing an update on the status of open government in NI from the NI Open Government Network.
vi. The Committee noted the thirty-second report from the Examiner of Statutory Rules to the Assembly. There are no rules for the attention of this Committee.
12. Any Other Business
None.
13. Date, Time and Place of next meeting
The next meeting will be held on Wednesday 26 February 2025 at 2.00pm in Room 30, Parliament Buildings.
The meeting was adjourned at 4.15pm.
Paula Bradshaw MLA
Chairperson, Committee for the Executive Office
19 February 2025
