Committee on Standards

Minutes of proceedings 23 September 2026

Committee on Standards minutes of proceedings 23 September 2026.pdf (175.48 kb)

Meeting Location: Room 106, Parliament Buildings

Present:

Connie Egan (Deputy Chairperson)

Stewart Dickson MLA

In attendance by video or teleconference:

Cathy Mason MLA (Chairperson)

Mark Durkan MLA

Paul Frew MLA

Declan McAleer MLA

Emma Sheerin MLA

Apologies:

Keith Buchanan MLA

Trevor Clarke MLA

In Attendance:

Shane McAteer, Committee Clerk

Ashleigh Mitford, Senior Assistant Clerk

Laura Gourley, Clerical Supervisor

Alison Ferguson, Clerical Officer

In attendance by video or teleconference:

Elaine Farrell, Assistant Clerk

The Deputy Chairperson took the chair due to the Chairperson attending the meeting remotely.

The meeting commenced at 10.02 a.m. in closed session, in accordance with agreed procedure.

1. Apologies

As above.

2. Declaration of interests

The Deputy Chairperson advised Committee members of the ongoing requirement to declare relevant financial or other interests as and when they arise and before taking part in any Assembly proceedings, including Committee proceedings, relating to that matter.

The Chairperson declared an interest in relation to the further investigation case to be considered under agenda item 5 and advised that she would recuse herself from that item.

3. Minutes

Noted: The Committee noted that the minutes of the meeting held on 1 July 2026 had previously been agreed by the Chairperson following delegation of authority by the Committee to do so, in order that the minutes could be included in a Committee report due to be published.

4. Matters Arising

Noted: The Committee noted the item of correspondence which was a letter of apology from a Member who was the respondent in a complaint case and noted that it will be included in the Committee’s report on the case, which will be considered in due course.

The Chairperson left the meeting at 10.06 a.m.

Mark Durkan joined the meeting at 10.08 a.m.

5. Complaints against a Minister – briefing by the Commissioner for Standards on Further Investigation Report

The Committee Clerk briefed the Committee on the background to the further investigation report.

The Commissioner for Standards, Mr Stephen Wright, joined the meeting at 10.11 a.m.

The Commissioner briefed the Committee on his further investigation report and this was followed by a question and answer session.

Mark Durkan left the meeting at 10.33 a.m.

The Deputy Chairperson thanked the Commissioner for his briefing.

The Commissioner left the meeting at 10.41 a.m.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that, in reporting on its consideration of the case, the Committee will follow the approach taken with previous ministerial complaint cases; whereby it will agree and publish a short covering report which explains the current procedural arrangements for such cases and attaches the Commissioner’s investigation and further investigation reports, together with the respondent’s written submission and the letter from the Committee requesting the Commissioner to undertake further investigation.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to send the Commissioner’s further investigation report to the respondent for comment prior to the Committee publishing its report.

Emma Sheerin left the meeting at 10.47 a.m.

6. Further consideration of inadmissibility decision

The Clerical Supervisor introduced this agenda item.

The Commissioner rejoined the meeting at 10.51 a.m. and briefed the Committee on the further consideration of his decision that the complaint was inadmissible. This was followed by a question and answer session.

The Chairperson rejoined the meeting at 10.53 a.m.