Committee for The Executive Office

Minutes of Proceedings - Wednesday 16 September 2026

Committee for the Economy - Wednesday 16 September 2026.pdf (183.92 kb)

Meeting Location: Room 30, Parliament Buildings

 

Present:

Ms Paula Bradshaw MLA (Chairperson) 

Mr Stewart Dickson MLA (Deputy Chairperson)

Mr Phillip Brett MLA

Ms Sinéad Ennis MLA

Ms Deborah Erskine MLA

Mr Timothy Gaston MLA

Ms Carál Ní Chuilín MLA                                  

 

Online:

Ms Claire Sugden MLA     

 

Apologies:

Ms Sinéad McLauglin 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

There were no declarations of interest.

 

3.    Chairperson’s Business

3.1 Informal Meeting – Own My Life

The Chairperson advised Members that she and the Deputy Chairperson met with a representative of My Own Life Programme on Wednesday 9 September 2026. The Chairperson updated Members that a note of the informal meeting was taken by the Clerk.

The Committee noted this item.

 

4.    Draft Minutes

Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 9 September 2026.

 

5.    Matters Arising

5.1-5. Guidance

The Chairperson reminded Members that the Committee agreed for the Clerk to seek further guidance on what constituents reasonable questions of witnesses, witnesses appearing before the Committee (who are also MLA’s) and protections available to both witnesses and Members in relation to any potential misconduct arising from evidence given in the course of Committee proceedings.

The Chairperson updated Members that this request is under way with Clerk of the Standards Committee and Clerk Assistants.

The Committee noted this item.

5.6 HOCS – Civil Service Review into Jeffrey Donaldson

The Chairperson reminded Members that at last week’s meeting the Committee considered correspondence from the Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service (HOCS) regarding the first phase of the NICS scoping and assurance exercise following the conviction of Jeffrey Donaldson.

The Chairperson advised Members that furthercorrespondence has now been received and HOCS has outlined that the exercise has now concluded.

The Committee noted this item.

 

6.    Oral Briefing – The Prevalence and Impact of Adverse Childhood Experience in Northern Ireland – Queens University Belfast (QUB)

The witnesses joined the meeting at 2.06pm.

Members received an oral briefing from:

  • Dr Colm Walsh, Co-director Centre for Evidence Based Youth Services, QUB
  • Professor Lisa Bunting, QUB
  • Professor Mark Shevlin, Ulster University

Claire Sugden joined the meeting online at 2.15pm.

Phillip Brett left the meeting at 2.36pm.

Carál Ní Chuilín left the meeting at 3.00pm and returned at 3.03pm.

Sinéad Ennis left the meeting at 3.24pm and returned at 3.28pm.

The witnesses provided an oral briefing on the prevalence and impact of adverse childhood experiences in Northern Ireland.

The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

The Chairperson thanked the witnesses for their attendance.

The witnesses left the meeting at 3.27pm.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to send a copy of the report to the Department and to highlight how its findings could inform and influence policy development within TEO. The Committee also agreed to highlight the need for further research to be conducted into the prevalence of non-recent child sexual abuse in Northern Ireland.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to send a copy of the report to all Statutory Committees and to seek information on how their respective departments are responding to the report and its findings.

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

The meeting was suspended at 3:29pm.

Proceedings continued in open session at 3.38pm with the following Members present: Paula Bradshaw, Stewart Dickson, Sinéad Ennis, Deborah Erskine, Timothy Gaston, Carál Ní Chuilín and Claire Sugden online.

 

7.    Oral Briefing – SL1: Period Products (Free Provision) Act (Northern Ireland) 2002 (The Act)

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

The officials joined the meeting at 3.39pm.

Members received an oral briefing from:

  • Carolyn Mada – Interim Director Equality, Rights and Identity, TEO
  • James Rider – Head of Equality & Human Rights Branch, TEO

The officials provided an oral briefing on SL1: Period Products (Free Provision) Act (Northern Ireland) 2002 (The Act).

Sinéad Ennis left the meeting at 3.42pm and returned at 3.45pm.

The Chairperson thanked the officials for their attendance.

The witnesses left the meeting at 3.43pm.

 

8.    Written Briefing – Community Relations Council (CRC)

The Committee considered a written update from CRC detailing its key activities, achievements, current challenges, and the issues it faces, as well as its forthcoming priorities and planned areas of work.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to invite CRC to provide oral evidence to the Committee.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the First and deputy First Minister to ask for the following information:

  • An update on the CRC 2026-27 Operational Plan, which is currently awaiting Ministerial sign-off.
  • Clarification on ongoing CRC budget issues, including both the level of funding available and the timing of budget notifications, given the significant impact that uncertainty in these areas has on the organisations supported by CRC.
  • An update on the publication of the revised T:BUC Strategy, as delays in its publication continue to impact on the finalisation and publication of CRC’s Strategic Plan.

 

9.    Correspondence

  • The Committee noted the summary of Committee correspondence.
  • The Committee considered an invitation from the Northern Ireland Fiscal Council.

The Committee noted this item.

  • The Committee considered an updated organisational chart from The Executive Office.

The Committee noted this item.

  • The Committee considered a response from The Executive Office to its correspondence of 2 July 2026 regarding the Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalane Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill Redress Scheme opening date.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department to ask that officials provide an urgent oral update to the Committee and to ask what engagement has taken place with the Consultative Forum to ensure that victims and survivors are kept informed of any developments.

  • The Committee considered an invitation from the Northern Ireland Law Centre.

The Committee noted this item.

  • The Committee considered correspondence from the Committee for Finance regarding TEO Financial Transactions Capital (FTC) underspend.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note this correspondence and to include it as a topic when Departmental officials appear before the Committee in October for the planned Budget briefing.

  • The Committee considered correspondence from the Committee for Finance in relation to the 2025-26 Public Expenditure Outturn and Forecast Outturn – June (R3) & July (R4) position.

Agreed : The Committee agreed to note this correspondence and agreed to write to the Department ask for further information in relation to the resource expenditure of £2.4 million for the Language Bodies and £2.9 million for the Communities in Transition Programme.

Agreed : The Committee agreed that in advance of the planned Budget briefing on 14 October 2026, that the Clerk will collate Members' questions, review actions arising from the previous Budget briefing and ensure that any outstanding actions have been completed.

  • The Committee noted a report from Pivotal - The Performance of the Northern Ireland Executive in 2026 So Far.
  • The Committee noted correspondence from NIA Legal Services – 71 st report from the Examiner of Statutory Rules.
  • The Committee noted correspondence from NIA Legal Services – 72 nd report from the Examiner of Statutory Rules.
  • The Committee noted a response from The Executive Office to its correspondence of 2 July 2026 asking that the Department keep the Committee updated on any official engagement between TEO and the Commission for Victims and Survivors.
  • The Committee noted a news release from The Executive Office - Ministers announce multi-million pound investment in new AI and Fintech Centre of Excellence at First Derivative.
  • The Committee noted correspondence from the Committee for Finance regarding Revised DoF & DoJ Section 59/Section 7 Authorisation letters.
  • The Committee noted correspondence from the Committee of Finance in relation to costs associated with the application of provisions of Bills.

 

10. Forward Work Programme

The Committee considered the draft forward work programme.

Agreed : The Committee agreed to seek legal advice from Northern Ireland Assembly Legal Services regarding the application of Section 44 in relation to the appearance of the First Minister and deputy First Minister before the Committee.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to go into closed session.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to move into public session.

Proceedings continued in open session at 4.15pm with the following Members present: Paula Bradshaw, Stewart Dickson, Sinéad Ennis, Deborah Erskine, Timothy Gaston, Carál Ní Chuilín and Claire Sugden online.

Agreed : The Committee agreed to write to the Department to request an update on the recommendations and next steps arising following the publication of the HCCA TEO Research Reports, including the timeframe for Ministerial agreement on the recommendations. The Committee also agreed to schedule the oral briefing with Departmental officials in relation to the TEO Research and Recommendations following an oral briefing with the Dromore Group and Research report authors.

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

 

11. Any Other Business

There was no other business.

 

12. Date and Time of Next Meeting

The next meeting of the Committee will be held on Wednesday 23 September 2026 at 2.00pm in Room 30, Parliament Buildings.

The meeting was adjourned at 4.16pm

 

Paula Bradshaw MLA

Chairperson, Committee for The Executive Office

Wednesday 23 September 2026