Committee for The Executive Office

Minutes of proceedings 24 September 2025

Committee for The Executive Office minutes of proceedings 24 September 2025.pdf (223.72 kb)

Meeting Location: Room 21, Parliament Buildings

Present:                           

Ms Paula Bradshaw MLA (Chairperson)

Mr Phillip Brett MLA

Ms Pam Cameron MLA

Mr Timothy Gaston MLA                                                                      

Ms Carál Ní Chuilín MLA                                                                                                                

Online:                            

Ms Sinéad McLaughlin MLA

Ms Áine Murphy MLA

Ms Claire Sugden MLA     

Mr Stewart Dickson MLA (Deputy Chairperson)                                 

Apologies:                      None 

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 6, noting that one parent was formerly employed by Wave Trauma Centre and relating to Item 10 that another parent is in receipt of the Victims Payment Permanent Disablement Scheme.

Áine Murphy joined the meeting at 2.01pm.


3.    Chairperson’s Business

3.1 Updated Membership

The Chairperson formally welcomed Pam Cameron and Philip Brett to the Committee. The Chairperson also placed on record the Committee’s thanks to Brian Kingston and Harry Harvey for their contribution during their time on the Committee.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the two outgoing Members of the Committee to thank them for their work during their tenure.

3.2 Truth Recovery Independent Panel

The Chairperson advised Members that they received correspondence from a Member of the Consultative Forum regarding the extension of term to the Truth Recovery Independent Panel.

The Chairperson reminded Members that the Panel will be appearing before the Committee at its meeting on the 8 October.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Panel to seek further information on its outreach initiative, specifically in relation to leaflet distribution and its expenditure.


4.    Draft Minutes

Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 17 September 2025.


5.    Matters Arising

5.1 Consultative Forum

The Chairperson advised Members that the PowerPoint Presentation used during the oral evidence session by the Consultative Forum at last week’s meeting is included in this week’s meeting Committee Pack.

5.2 Birth Mothers and their Children Together

The Chairperson advised Members that Birth Mothers and their Children Together provided additional information following their oral evidence session at last week’s meeting in relation to baby homes.

5.3 Birth Mothers and their Children for Justice

The Chairperson advised Members that Birth Mothers and their Children for Justice provided additional information following their oral evidence session at last week’s meeting regarding additional institutions.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note these three items under Matters Arising.


6.    Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill: WAVE, VSS & Adopt NI – Oral Briefing

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

The witnesses joined the meeting at 2.06pm.

Members received an oral briefing from:

  • Andrew Walker, CEO, VSS
  • Sandra Peake, CEO, Wave Trauma Centre
  • Ciara Scully, CEO, Adopt NI

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 left at 2.50pm and returned at 2.56pm.

The witnesses left the meeting at 3.00pm.

Phillip Brett left at 3.00pm and returned at 3.02pm.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to VSS, Wave and Adopt NI to follow up on information they agreed to provide relating to the Committee regarding case material on the posthumous payment of £10,000 and case material on wider issue of access to records.


7.    Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill: Departmental Briefing - Oral Briefing

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

The witnesses joined the meeting at 3.04pm.

Members received an oral briefing from:

  • Martin Carey - Truth Recovery Programme Director, TEO
  • Francesca Murray - Head of Inquiry team, TEO
  • Elaine Allen - Head of Redress team, TEO
  • Michaela Jordan - Head of Programme team , TEO

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.

Stewart Dickson left the meeting at 3.25pm.

Pam Cameron left at 4.00pm and returned at 4.06pm

The witnesses left the meeting at 4.05pm.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department to request the follow-up information that officials had undertaken to provide in relation to access to information – powers to compel disclosure, provisions in the next piece of legislation, and the individualised payment scheme.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department to ask for further information in relation to the geographical spread of the Truth Recovery Independent Panel leaflet drop; and to ask if there has been any progress on the production of an Easy Read guide of the Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that the Clerk should liaise with Departmental officials to clarify whether the Redress Scheme has the power to compel the provision of information, and whether such information will be made available to individuals.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to take a short comfort break and suspend the meeting.

The meeting was suspended at 4.08pm.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to move into closed session at 4.16pm for the next item of business.

The meeting resumed at 4.16pm in closed session.


8.    Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill – The Examiner of Statutory Rules – Delegated Powers Memorandum (Closed Session)

The official joined the meeting at 4.16pm.

Members received a briefing from:

  • Angela Kelly, Examiner of Statutory Rules

Sinéad McLaughlin left the meeting at 4.32pm.

The official left the meeting at 4.43pm.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department and request further information in relation to the following clauses of the Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill:

  • Clause 27(2): An explanation as to why this is not included on the face of the Bill.
  • Clause 27 (3) -  An explanation as to why this is not included on the face of the Bill, and to request that the Committee has sight of the draft regulations before proceeding; further, that these regulations should be subject to the draft affirmative procedure.
  • Clause 32 (2) - The Committee’s view that these regulations should be subject to the draft affirmative procedure.
  • Clause 44 – Clarification as to whether TEO intends to take a Henry VIII power here, given the narrow scope of the Bill.
  • Delegated legislation: An indication of delegated legislation within the Bill, confirmation of whether this has been drafted, and, if so, that the Committee be given sight of it.


9.    Inquiry: Gaps into Equality Legislation – Updated Draft Final Report (closed session).

The Clerk talked Members through the updated draft final report in relation to the Inquiry.

Carál Ní Chuilín left the meeting at 4.43pm.

The meeting moved into open session at 4.53pm.

Phillip Brett left the meeting at 4.54pm.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to defer final discussion until it receives the oral briefing from the Equality Commission on Wednesday 3 December, prior to agreeing the updated draft final report.


10. Correspondence

i. The Committee noted the summary of Committee correspondence.

ii. The Committee considered correspondence from the Committee for Finance regarding the Administrative and Financial Provisions Bill.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note this item of correspondence and to forward this correspondence to TEO and ask if a screening process has taken place and if so, what are the results and if not, will a screening process take place.

iii. The Committee noted a Hansard Report - Briefing by First Minister, deputy First Minister and junior Ministers 10 September 2025.

iv. The Committee noted a Hansard Report - Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill - RaISe 10 September 2025.

v. The Committee noted a TEO response to the Committee’s correspondence on 30 May - TEO Budget Allocation 2025-2026 and the Local Change Fund.

vi. The Committee noted a response from the First Minister and deputy First Minister to the Committee’s correspondence on 15 May regarding an Extension of the Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme.

vii. The Committee noted a response from the Committee for Finance to the Committee’s correspondence on 27 June regarding the Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill.

viii. The Committee noted the 44th Report of the Examiner of Statutory Rules. There are no rules for the attention of this Committee. 

viii. The Committee noted a news release from TEO regarding the Launch of Belfast City Airport Masterplan.

ix. The Committee noted the annual report of the Historical Institutional Abuse Redress Board for Year Ending 31 March 2025.

x. The Committee noted a Written Ministerial Statement from the First Minister and deputy First Minister - Tier 1 National Pandemic Exercise PEGASUS.


11. 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 as part of the Committee Stage of the Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill and the change of venue in Omagh to the Silver Birch Hotel & Business Centre on Wednesday 15 October.

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


12. Any Other Business

None.


13. Date and Time of Next Meeting

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday 1 October at 2.00pm in Room 21, Parliament Buildings.

The meeting was adjourned at 4.57pm.

Paula Bradshaw MLA

Chairperson, Committee for the Executive Office

Wednesday 24 September 2025