Committee on Procedures
Minutes of Proceedings 11 March 2026
Committee on Procedures Minutes of Proceedings 11 March 2026.pdf (152.04 kb)
Meeting Location: The Senate, Parliament Buildings
Present:
Kellie Armstrong MLA (Chairperson)
Órlaithí Flynn MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Cheryl Brownlee MLA
Trevor Clarke MLA
Danny Donnelly MLA
Present by Video or Teleconference:
Robbie Butler MLA
Cara Hunter MLA
Philip McGuigan MLA
Apologies:
Danny Baker MLA
In Attendance:
Stella McArdle, Assembly Clerk
James Gilsenan, Assembly Clerk
Michael Best, Assistant Assembly Clerk
Veronica Lo Pinto, Clerical Officer
The meeting started at 10.02 a.m. in public session.
1. Apologies
As above.
2. Draft Minutes
Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 25 February 2026.
3. Matters Arising
None.
The Committee moved into closed session at 10.04 a.m.
4. Assembly Bills and Provision in Standing Orders for Corrective Amendments from the Executive – Briefing Paper from RaISe
The Chairperson welcomed Ray McCaffrey, Assembly Research Officer, to the meeting.
Mr McCaffrey provided an overview of a research paper on information on technical and ‘tidying-up’ amendments to draft legislation in other legislatures.
The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.
5. Assembly Bills and Provision in Standing Orders for Corrective Amendments from the Executive – Oral Briefing from Clerk Assistant to the Bill Office
The Chairperson welcomed Frank Geddis, Clerk Assistant to the Bill Office, to the meeting via zoom.
Mr Geddis provided an overview of a briefing paper on parliamentary convention on corrective amendments.
Robbie Butler joined the meeting at 10.25 a.m.
The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that the issue of Assembly Bills and provision in Standing Orders for corrective amendments from the Executive should be removed from its list of priority work areas. The Committee further agreed to include this issue in the Legacy Report for consideration by the Committee in the next mandate in connection with a review of the Assembly’s Legislative Procedures.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Bill Office requesting that it ensures that Members and Committees that are sponsoring a Bill are aware of the provision that exists in the Bill Office drafting contract to make corrective/tidying amendments.
6. Assembly Sitting Days – Consideration of proposed approach
The Committee considered responses to the Committee’s correspondence on a potential inquiry into a switch of Assembly Plenary sitting days to Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that the issue of an inquiry into switching Assembly Plenary sitting days to Tuesdays and Wednesdays should be removed from its list of priority work areas and to include the matter in the Legacy Report for consideration by the Committee in the next mandate.
The meeting moved into public session at 11.00 a.m.
7. Forward Work Programme
The Committee considered an updated Forward Work Programme.
Agreed: The Committeeagreed the updated Forward Work Programme.
8. Correspondence
The Committee noted correspondence from the Speaker on the concerns raised by some Political Parties on the draft Standing Orders on Petitions of Concern and that consideration of the draft Standing Orders is scheduled on the Forward Work Programme for a meeting in April 2026.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to consider the Speaker’s correspondence at a meeting in April 2026.
9. Chairperson’s Business
None.
10. Any Other Business
None.
11. Date, Time and Place of next meeting
The next meeting will be held on Wednesday 25 March 2026 at 10.00 a.m. in Room 21, Parliament Buildings.
The meeting was adjourned at 11.02 a.m.
Kellie Armstrong MLA
Chairperson, Committee on Procedures
25 March 2026
