Committee on Procedures
Minutes of proceedings 24 September 2025
Committee on Procedures minutes of proceedings 24 September 2025.pdf (153.4 kb)
Meeting Location: Room 21, Parliament Buildings
Present:
Kellie Armstrong MLA (Chairperson)
Órlaithí Flynn MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Cheryl Brownlee MLA
Robbie Butler MLA
Trevor Clarke MLA
Maolíosa McHugh MLA
Present by Video or Teleconference:
Danny Donnelly MLA
Aoife Finnegan MLA
Apologies:
Cara Hunter MLA
In Attendance:
Stella McArdle, Assembly Clerk
Christine Darrah, Assembly Clerk
Michael Best, Assistant Assembly Clerk
Veronica Lo Pinto, Clerical Officer
The meeting started at 10.03 a.m. in public session.
1. Apologies
As above.
The Chairperson welcomed Cheryl Brownlee to her first meeting of the Committee.
The Chairperson placed on the record the Committee’s appreciation for William Irwin’s contribution to the work of the Committee.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to William Irwin MLA thanking him for his contribution as a member of the Committee.
2. Draft Minutes
Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 10 September 2025.
Aoife Finnegan joined the meeting at 10.07 a.m.
3. Matters Arising
None.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that the meeting should move into closed session.
The meeting moved into closed session at 10.07 a.m.
4. Inquiry into an Extension of Standing Order 27A Voting by Proxy – Further Consideration of Policy and Principles for Long-term Illness and Injury
The Chairperson welcomed Robin Ramsey, Adviser to the Speaker, Sinead McDonnell, Assembly Head of Human Resources, and Paul Gill, Clerk Assistant, to the meeting.
The officials briefed the Committee on the Speaker’s position on the potential provision of supporting documentation for a notification for proxy voting for long-term illness or injury and the associated data protection requirements.
Robbie Butler joined the meeting at 10.18 a.m.
The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.
Trevor Clarke joined the meeting at 10.52 a.m.
The Chairperson thanked the officials and they left the meeting.
Agreed: The Committee agreed a preferred position that supporting documentation should be provided with a notification for proxy voting for long-term illness or injury.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that a statement for fitness to work would be an appropriate form of supporting documentation.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to give further consideration to the process for the provision of a statement for fitness to work to accompany the notification for a proxy vote.
The Committee considered the terminology to be used for this category of proxy voting.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that the terminology to be used for this category of proxy voting should be serious long-term illness or injury.
The meeting moved into public session at 11.14 a.m.
5. Forward Work Programme
The Committee considered an updated Forward Work Programme.
The Chairperson reminded the Committee that an informal meeting to undertake a review of the Committee’s strategic priorities would take place following this meeting.
Agreed: The Committeeagreed the updated Forward Work Programme.
6. Correspondence
The Committee considered correspondence from the Chairperson of the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs outlining concerns with the Legislative Consent Motion (LCM) process and requesting that the Committee consider undertaking a review of the LCM process.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to defer a reply to the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs until after the session to review the Committee’s strategic priorities.
The Committee considered correspondence from the Chairperson of the Assembly and Executive Review Committee (AERC) asking whether the Committee planned to undertake a review of the Assembly’s legislative process in this mandate and, if so, highlighting the need for such a review to co-ordinate with the AERC’s review of Assembly Committee Engagement on Cross-Cutting Executive Strategies.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to reply to the AERC indicating that it was unlikely that the Committee would be able to commence a review of the legislative process in this mandate.
7. Chairperson’s Business
None.
8. Any Other Business
None.
9. Date, Time and Place of next meeting
The next meeting will be held on Wednesday 8 October 2025 at 10.00 a.m. in Room 21, Parliament Buildings.
The meeting was adjourned at 11.19 a.m.
Kellie Armstrong MLA
Chairperson, Committee on Procedures
8 October 2025
