Committee for The Executive Office

Minutes of Proceedings - Wednesday 8 October 2025

Meeting Location: Room 21, Parliament Buildings

 

Present:

Mr Phillip Brett MLA

Mr Timothy Gaston MLA

Ms Áine Murphy MLA

 

Online:

Ms Paula Bradshaw MLA (Chairperson)

Mr Stewart Dickson MLA (Deputy Chairperson)

Ms Pam Cameron MLA

Ms Claire Sugden MLA

Ms Carál Ní Chuilín MLA

 

Apologies: Ms Sinéad McLaughlin MLA

 

In Attendance:

Mr Nick Mitford (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

Áine Murphy declared a standing interest as having a family member who was born in a Mother and Baby institution in relation to the Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill.

Pam Cameron declared a standing interest as having worked previously in TEO as a junior Minister from February 2024 until September 2025.

Phillip Brett declared an interest in relation to Item 7 as having attended primary school and secondary school with the representative of KRW Law attending today's meeting.

 

3. Chairperson's Business

3.1 Individual Correspondence - Survivor Participation

The Chairperson advised Members that an individual emailed the Chairperson and the Committee regarding the importance of survivor participation in the Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill. The individual has also submitted a written response to the Bill as part of the Committee's Call for Evidence.

Pam Cameron joined the meeting at 2.10pm

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note this item of correspondence and agreed to write to the Department to ask for an absolute definition of what an 'institution' is.

3.2 Joseph Rowntree Foundation

The Chairperson advised Members that the Chairperson has received an invitation from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation to a roundtable discussion on a poverty free future for Northern Ireland taking place on 17 October.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note this item of correspondence.

3.3 Ulster University - Request to Brief Committee on Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill.

The Chairperson advised that Professor Lundy from Ulster University contacted the Chairperson to brief the Committee in relation to the Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill as having previously conducted research on the Hart Inquiry, specifically from the perspective of survivors who participated in the process.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to initially invite Professor Lundy to the stakeholder roundtable events in the first instance.

 

4. Draft Minutes

Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 1October 2025.

 

5. Matters Arising

5.1 RaISe Briefing Paper - Responses to Historical Abuse in Great Britain

The Chairperson advised Members that the RAISE briefing paper on responses to Historical Abuse in Great Britain which the Committee initially considered at its meeting on 19 March was included in this week's meeting pack.

5.2 RaISe Briefing Paper - Scotland's Redress Scheme

The Chairperson advised Members that the RAISE briefing paper regarding further information on the organisations named on the contributor list for Scotland's Redress Scheme which the Committee considered at its meeting on the 26 March was included in this week's meeting pack.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note both these items.

5.3 AERC - Response to review of Assembly Committee engagement on cross-cutting Executive strategies

The Clerk read out a draft response on behalf of the Committee.

Carál Ní Chuilín declared an interest as a member of AERC.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to update the response to include reference to the Committee for the Executive Office providing the scrutiny role. The revised response will be circulated by email for comment, with any changes from Members to be returned by Friday this week, before sending the final response to AERC.

5.4 DCU & QUB Eligible Applicants - Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill

The Chairperson advised Members that the Committee has received a response from QUB and DCU on eligible applicants regarding the Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note this item.

 

6. Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill: Human Rights Commission - Oral Briefing

The Chairperson advised Members that due to travel disruption involving witnesses this oral evidence had to be cancelled.

Pam Cameron declared a standing interest based on the Bill as it stands, she has a family member who may be entitled to a redress payment as part of the second part of this legislation.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to invite the Human Rights Commission to the stakeholder roundtable events, and that any Member with follow-up questions on their written submission should submit these to the Clerk by Friday.

 

7. Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill: Law Society NI, KRW Law and Phoenix Law - Oral Briefing

Agreed: The Committee agreed for Hansard to record the evidence session.

The witnesses joined the meeting at 2.20pm.

Members received an oral briefing from:

  • Peter O'Brien, Deputy Chief Executive of the Society, Law Society NI
  • Gary Duffy, Associate Solicitor KRW Law
  • Claire McKeegan, Partner, Head of Litigation, Healthcare & Abuse, Phoenix Law

The witnesses provided information on the Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill.

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

The Chairperson thanked the witnesses for their attendance.

Carál Ní Chuilín declared an interest as being Communities Minister in 2020.

Áine Murphy left the meeting at 3.00pm and returned at 3.08pm.

Carál Ní Chuilín left the meeting at 3.20pm and returned at 3.25pm.

Phillip Brett left the meeting at 3.23pm and returned at 3.31pm.

The witnesses left the meeting at 3.26pm.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to Law Society NI, KRW Law and Phoenix Law to ask for further information on their suggestions for alternative means of deploying measures in the Bill, other than through the use of Public Interest Immunity.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department to request clarification on the following matters in relation to the Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill:

  • the rationale for the 14-day timeframe for Judicial Review as set out in the Bill;
  • whether 'Core Participant' status was considered, and if not, why
  • whether alternative means of deploying measures were explored other than through the use of Public Interest Immunity;
  • the cost implications of setting 1922 as the date in terms of posthumous claims; and
  • the estimated and actual figures relating to the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to Phoenix Law regarding Clause 15 safeguards and to ask if they have any concerns in relation to Clause 14 of the Bill.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to ask for further information from Assembly Legal Services regarding 'Core Participation' status in relation to the Inquiry.

 

8. Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill: Truth Recovery Independent Panel - Oral Briefing

Agreed: The Committee agreed for Hansard to record the evidence session.

The witnesses joined the meeting at 3.27pm.

Members received an oral briefing from:

  • Professor Leanne McCormick, Independent Panel Co-Chair, Truth Recovery Independent Panel
  • Professor Sean O'Connell, Independent Panel Co-Chair, Truth Recovery Independent Panel
  • Mr Colin Smith SC, Human Rights Barrister

The witnesses provided information on the Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill.

Phillip Brett left the meeting at 3.38pm and returned at 3.39pm.

The witnesses left the meeting at 4.00pm.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to follow up with the Belfast Trust regarding its outstanding response in relation to access to records.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department of Health regarding the importance of establishing a single central location for access to records for the Inquiry, to ask whether the Department could provide a written or oral briefing on this matter, and to explore whether such centralisation could be incorporated into the Compass system.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that the Clerk should liaise with the Muckamore Abbey Inquiry Secretariat for any identified learnings of best practice.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to request that RaISe compile a briefing paper on the Muckamore Abbey Inquiry and any identified learnings or examples of best practice.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department to ask whether there is potential to extend class action rules and civil litigation provisions in advance, and whether these could be included in the Bill.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department to ask the Civil Contingencies Unit for further information regarding the structure of the Covid Inquiry.

Áine Murphy left the meeting at 4.06pm and returned at 4.10pm

 

9. Correspondence

  1. The Committee noted the summary of Committee correspondence.
  2. The Committee noted a response from TEO regarding to the Committee's correspondence of 12 September 2025 regarding the Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill and a query surrounding clerical abuse which the Committee for Justice had raised when responding on its views of the Bill.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note this item of correspondence and agreed to forward the response to the Committee for Justice for information.

  1. The Committee considered a response from TEO to the Committee's correspondence of 24 January 2025 regarding the Establishment of the Castlereagh Foundation.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note this item of correspondence and agreed towrite to TEO to ask that following appointments to the Office of Identity and Cultural Expression to ensure the establishment of the Castlereagh Foundation is a key priority for the incoming Commissioner.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department to request the current status of the appointment of the Commissioners for the Irish Language, Ulster Scots, and the Office of Identity and Cultural Expression.

  1. The Committee noted a Hansard Report - Adopt NI; Victims and Survivors Service and WAVE Trauma Centre on the Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill from the meeting of 24 September 2025.
  2. The Committee noted a Hansard Report - Departmental Officials on the Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill from the meeting of 24 September 2025.
  3. The Committee noted an invitation from NI Judicial Appointments Commission to an Information Session on 17 November 2025.
  4. The Committee noted correspondence from the Public Accounts Committee regarding a Memorandum of Reply: Major Capital Projects - Follow-up Report.
  5. The Committee noted correspondence from the Committee for Finance in relation to performance appraisal for the Head of Civil Service.
  6. The Committee noted the Forty-fifth report of the Examiner of Statutory Rules. There are no rules for the attention of the Committee.
  7. The Committee noted the Forty-Sixth Reports of the Examiner of Statutory Rules. There are no rules for the attention of the Committee.
  8. The Committee noted correspondence from the Victims Payment Board regarding a response to a complaint raised by an individual about their application to the Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme.
  9. The Committee noted a copy of correspondence from the Department of Finance to the Committee for Finance in relation to the Administrative and Financial Provisions Bill.
  10. The Committee noted correspondence from the Committee for Finance regarding the October Monitoring Round.
  11. The Committee noted a response from TEO to the Committee's correspondence of 27 January in relation to October Monitoring: Communities in Transition and the Windsor Framework.
  12. The Committee noted correspondence from TEO regarding Communities in Transitions: Phase 3 Contracts. A table has also been provided detailing the area, issue, contractor and contract value.
  13. The Committee noted a Written Statement from the First and deputy First Minister in relation to the Executive Legislative Programme for 2025 to 2026.
  14. The Committee noted correspondence from an individual on the evidence of exclusion of Workhouse Mothers for Redress regarding the Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill.
  15. The Committee noted a press release from the Northern Ireland Office in relation to announcement of the new UK Connect Fund.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to circulate all information received to date regarding the Race Relations Order, in light of the Department's intention to introduce the Race Equality Bill in this session.

 

10. Forward Work Programme

The Committee considered the draft forward work programme.

The Committee noted an update from the Assistant Clerk in relation to the stakeholder roundtable events in Dungannon and Omagh for the Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill.

There will be no Committee meeting next Wednesday 15 October due to these events.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to proceed with the remaining briefings as set out in the forward work programme.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that the Clerk should liaise with the Northern Ireland Office to follow up on a briefing in relation to legacy matters.

 

11. Any Other Business

None

 

12. Date and Time of Next Meeting

The Chairperson reminded Members and for those watching the meeting details of stakeholder roundtable events in relation to the Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill and how to register.

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday 22 October at 2.00pm in Room 21, Parliament Buildings.

The meeting was adjourned at 4.25pm.

 

 

Paula Bradshaw MLA

Chairperson, Committee for the Executive Office

Wednesday 8 October 2025